The Rise of Madness
by Panzerraptor
Summary: All hell breaks loose as Dante Blaine gets sent to the Seireitei by accident. In order to survive through his journey of soul searching, he must become stronger. As well as stop harassing the cast... SS ARC SPOILERS! Final Ch. 15 Up! R&R!
1. Chapter 1

**The Rise of Madness**

Author's Note 1: Ever wonder what would happen if My Way Entertainment (creators of The Juggernaut, Bitch movies) had subbed the anime series Bleach? (Look on their site and you'll know) Or how about what would happen if a crazed OC with 'gangsta' qualities had found himself in Bleach? No, I highly doubt it. But for the few that do, now your questions will finally be answered (whether you like it or not). I sorta got this idea after reading Agent HUNK's stories so much cred to him. I've also been playing Panzer Dragoon Orta for a while which would explain the raptor and then a dragonmare morphs. Why? 'Cause I'm that bored. So let's do this!

Author's Note 2: This story will have languages, drug references, sexual preferences, and contain pop-culture references.

Author's Note 3: Italicized font is for thought. Parenthesis is addition detail.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. It's owned by someone else. It's also don't own Panzer Dragoon. They're owned by SEGA. I'm also not part of My Way Entertainment. It would be cool, but it's not a reality. I'm just borrowing their technique (and I doubt it will be as good as theirs).

* * *

Ch. 1

Ah the Seireitei, the home of the legendary Soul Reaper society. Today seemed like any other boring day. That was until a few hours ago when the dome-like shield was compromised by four youths and a cat in a cannonball made up of Spirit energy. Now every soul reaper and their grandmas in the structure are looking for five intruders.

However, what they haven't realized is that the event brought forth something else. Something that no one would expect. In a dark alley inside the maze like living area, a body of a young black man laid on the ground. In time, he stirred awake, grabbing onto the wall near him to pick his aching body up. He wore a red and black sweater with black jeans (the pockets, bottom tips of the legs and waist line were red). Wrapped around his neck was a black cloak. He was Dante Blaine, member of a secret group.

"Ah shit…" he said. "I knew I shouldn't have had that PCP with the Sobe back in Shibuya with all them bitches in the crib." With his head against the wall, Dante dropped his arms down, seemingly tired. It wasn't long until he felt a familiar item against his waist on his right side. It was his katana, a slender Japanese sword. He then placed his left hand on his back where it wrapped around a pole weapon. It was his large scythe. "At least I ain't here unprepared. Speaking of which…" The young man left the dark alley and found himself seeing more homes. He looked up and replied, "Where the hell am I?"

"Hey you!" shouted a voice to his left. The teen turned his attention to the source and saw three men. Each one wore black robes and held a katana.

The young man looked at the strangers with a bewildered glance. "Why the hell are you chumps dressed like that?" the Dante replied. "Did yo mommas have to give you blankets for the costume convention?

"What did you say, you little punk! You dare mock the attire of a Soul Reaper!?"

"Soul Reaper… Wait a minute," Dante said in a sly manner. "You mother fuckers are supposedly from Bleach, right?"

"What the hell are you talking about," replied one of the robed men.

"You're cosplayers and you don't even know what you're cosplaying? Man, you're losers! Even I know what that anime is. But there's no way in hell I'm gonna dress like you mother fuckers."

"We're not these 'cosplayers' you speak of," replied one of the Soul Reapers. "We are real Soul Reapers."

"Yeah right! This is really some 'hood in Kyoto where I was thrown at."

"Shut the hell up and listen!" shouted the leading Soul Reaper. "You are an intruder inside the Seireitei. Such tresspassing is punishable by death!"

A sour look came across Dante's face. These three men were serious. He looked up at the seemingly normal sky, but felt a strong energy instead. "Oh shit…" he hissed under his breath.

"Now, you could either come quietly, or you can make this hard on yourself."

"Bitch, you know who I am! I'm fuckin' Dante Blaine! You think a brotha like me gonna simply hand his ass over to you bitch asses to kill? Shit, my name already sounds like that one guy, David Blaine, 'cept my magic is getting down with the bitches and hoes and kicking ass! So you best protect ya neck 'cause Imma be on you like the Wu-Tang Clan, knawmean!?"

With katana in hand, Dante rushed at the enemies. The soul reapers also charged at the young black teen as fast as they could, ready to attack. However, Dante proved to be quicker than his three rivals and was able to slash at them with his sword before they could even touch him. "Gyaaahh…" hissed one of the fallen foes. "…Damn you…"

"Yeah, bow down to the true pimp, bitch!" replied the ever 'humble' Dante. "Now if you excuse me…" As Dante was about to leave, he heard voices of more enemies coming around the corner.

"Hey, I heard something over here," said one of them.

"Oh shit, more chumps that be lookin' like rejects from Seven Samurai thinkin' they got the drop on me." It was at that moment Dante cracked a sinister smile. "But not for long." He quickly grabbed his I-Pod and turned it to "City in the Storm" from Panzer Dragoon Orta.

Just as the first group of Soul Reapers came around the corner, they were scared out of their pants at what they saw. It was a large red raptor with a black back standing over the three fallen Soul Reapers. This was Dante's second form. "Oh yeah, bitches, Pays to be a genetic freak! Now we's 'bout to go Jurassic Park up in this mother fucker!" was what was translated, but it was instead an ear-shattering screech.

The enemy swordsmen backed away by the sheer sight of the carnivore, a few with their legs shivering. "What in the hell is that thing!?" replied one of them. "Some kind of hollow?"

Dante approached his enemies eagerly, his second toe claw tapping against the hard ground. "You tellin' me a bunch of dead guys don't know what a Deinonychus is? Ain't that a bitch! Now if you don't mind, I got to get to the bank and make a transaction so I can pay back my homie Holio in Downtown the ten dollars I've owed him for a couple of days and then go and get some Kool-Aid." With that said, Dante dashed toward the frightened Soul Reapers. Using his agility and speed, the raptor hopped on the sea of shinigami, leaping from head-to-head, shoulder-to-shoulder. After he made it through the mass, Dante continued sprinting.

As he ran, he heard more enemies coming toward him from ahead. Though Dante still had his weapons, he knew that in this form, he didn't have the skill to wield them. By the time the foes came into sight, they ran headlong into battle, their swords drawn. _"Here comes some competition,"_ thought Dante. With his arms out, Dante displayed his sharp claws, ready to combat the Soul Reapers. The first enemy tried to slash at the teen, but the raptor leapt back and headbutted him in the stomach. Another two enemies came at him, swinging their swords, hoping to hit the agile coelurosaur. Dante leapt up and kicked one of the enemies multiple times, bounced off a nearby wall and pounced on the other shinigami, his weight causing the man to crash to the ground. "Man, you fools can't even hit me," Dante gloated which came out as a hiss. Dante continued forward again, evading another couple of slashes from a Soul Reaper before retaliating with his claws. The attacker was stunned for a moment before his robes fell to the ground in shredded ribbons. With embarrassment mixed with fear, the Soul Reaper ran away from the scene, screaming like a maniac and covering his underwear. Shaking his head, Dante said to himself, "God that never gets old." He then saw the last two contenders rushing toward him, their blades out and at a level to decapitate him. Dante crouched down to avoid the enemy's swords. He then turned around and jump kicked the two foes, causing the fall flat on their faces. "You chumps ain't got nothin' on me!" Dante replied before he felt a change in his body. His form had now advanced, developing a light feathery down covering his body. He also grew long feathers along his arms and his another long set of feathers along his back. "Oh yeah, now we're talkin'!" he replied. "Later punk asses!" Dante left his victims wounded and groaning in pain.

After a few minutes of running, the Deinonychi turned a corner, sliding off course a bit before continuing through the route. It wasn't long until he saw a short gray-haired figure cross his path, carrying a large sword strapped on his back. It was Toshiro Hitsugaya, captain of the 10 division of Soul Reapers. The two knew that their paths would intersect in a matter of seconds, with Toshiro and Dante leering at one another. By the time their path's met, Toshiro placed his hand against his blade. Quickly, Dante leapt into the air over the captain, their eyes meeting one last time before the raptor landed on the other side of the juvenile. Toshiro watched as Dante leapt onto one of the building roofs and onto another higher one. Hitsugaya stood nonchalantly with a serious look on his face, glaring at where he last saw Dante. _"Was that a Deinonychus?"_ the young captain thought. _"Whatever it was, I know it's somehow connected to this Ryouka situation. And I know I'll meet it again real soon."_ With that in mind, Hitsugaya continued on to his destination.

Meanwhile on a rooftop, Dante sat down, taking a breather. _"Well, looks like I really am in the Seireitei,"_ he thought. _"And I just met up with that kid Hitsugaya up in this mother fucker. I coulda taken 'im, but he just lucky I'm a nice guy. Hey, maybe I'll get lucky again and meet up wit' Matsumoto for some 'business'."_ It was then that he began to blush and his mouth cracked a perverted smile that revealed his form's razor sharp teeth. Turning off his I-Pod, Dante returned to his human form. He stepped forward and placed his foot on a nearby ledge while he overlooked area. _"But there's something that's been bothering me… Why the hell is this anime named 'Bleach'!? Is there a giant Clorox container somewhere that I don't know about? Bet the other option for the name was 'Detergent'"_

* * *

Author's Note 4: In the next exciting chapter, Dante meets up with Orihime and Uryu. What chaos will be unleashed?

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

Ch. 2

After escaping pursuing Soul Reapers, having a close call with Toshiro Hitsugaya, and upgrading his second form, Dante started hopping from roof-to-roof like a kid in a jumping-jamboree. "Oh yeah! This is how I roll! I'm just like that one brother in that game Crackdown leapin' in the city when shit be pumpin' 'cause Kermit ain't got shit on me', fo' real, knawmean? In fact, I caught that punk-frog's legs in mid-air and ate his ass like chicken to go." As the black teen jumped around, he heard a sudden loud crash nearby. He turned to the right and saw a small cloud of smoke on a rooftop. "What the fuck is that? Don't they know that you can't start a party without a gangsta like me?"

Meanwhile on the rooftop in question, Uryu Ishida and Orihime Inoue stood face to face with a large heavy bodied Soul Reaper Jirobo Ikkanzaka. The two ryouka prepared themselves as the enemy counted down for them to relent on meeting him. As soon as he counted to one and was ready to attack, everyone felt some kind of energy closing in quick. They looked up and saw a large wave heading straight to their location. Jiroba was equally surprised as he saw that it was heading his way. Quickly, the soul reaper lifted his sword above his massive body to at least absorb some of the damage. By the time it hit, the large man found himself in a crater.

"Oh yeah! Fear the power of the Heines!" Landing next to Uryu and Orihime was Dante, armed with his scythe. "Bo Jango Fett up in this bitch!" he shouted.

"Who are you and why are you here?" Uryu asked with a suspicious look in his eyes.

"Shit, you could be a little more grateful with your Quincy ass," Dante responded with folded arms. "'Cause I coulda just been one of them new villains that everyone adds in their stories an' whatever instead of a pimp-ass anti-hero that everyone and they mamas look up to."

Uryu and Orihime stared at the black teen with sweatdrops on their forehead. "This guy's really weird," Orihime said.

It wasn't long after the dust cleared from Dante's attack that Jirobo stood back up. He stared at the newcomer with an intense gaze. "So another one arrives," the massive Soul Reaper said. "No matter. I shall also dispose of you as well."

"Oh I know you didn't say you was gonna shank me! 'Cause I'm gonna give you a liposuction before you touch my black ass!"

"I hope you three used this extra time to repent. But don't worry, you'll have an entire eternity to do so." It was then that Jirobo dashed toward them, leaping in the air ready to attack. The three prepared themselves as the Soul Reaper's large sword was coming down on them. At the last second, the ryouka leapt out of the way as Jirobo's blade crashed into the ground.

"Come Soul Reaper!" shouted Uryu as he was in the air. "I will fight you!" However, the Quincy's response came in the form of a fistful of sand thrown into his face. Uryu was blinded by the cheap attack and slipped off the ledge after he landed.

"Man that's messed up!" Dante shouted. "Not only was that a punk move, but Uryu was blinded while wearing his glasses. You might as well be poisoning someone in a gas mask!"

"You are not the one who decides who I fight," Jirobo said. The large man then turned to Orihime, who got into a battle position. "Now to end your regret," he said with a indifferent look. "With death that is."

"Bring it on," replied Dante as he stood between the two. "Imma kick your ass so bad that yo' momma, yo' daddy, and even yo' ancestors are gonna bleed." With "The Turn" by Methodman and Raekwon playing in his ear, the young black teen charged into battle. As the blade of the juvenile's scythe ran along the ground, Jirobo raised his sword high above his head.

As soon as Dante was close, the two locked weapons, pushing off of one another to test their strength. "Do you really think you can defeat the me, little boy?" the Soul Reaper asked.

"Bitch, I'm part of the Tokyo Strikers. We get down with the bitches and hoes on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday, fuck dragons in the ass on Sunday and Tuesday, and smoke some ganja with Marion Barry on Wednesday and Friday, son!"

"What does that mean?"

"I don't need to tell yo' bitch-ass!" Jirobo quickly lifted his sword and was ready to slam down on Dante. However, Dante dodged the attack. He then used his scythe to hook the back of Jirobo's left leg and pulled forward. The giant fell in the splits, his face expressing the serious discomfort of his current position. "Cou de gras, bitch!" replied Dante as he used a roundhouse kick that made a direct hit to the jaw. "You just got grilled, Porky Pig!" gloated Dante.

However, his expression changed as the wind was knocked out of him by a giant fist to the gut. Jirobo slowly returned to his feet, his balled-up hand still imbedded in the young teen's stomach. "I have to admit, your fighting style is impressive and unorthodox. Not many enemies have been able to do that. But you still have a long way and sadly, you won't have the time to refine those skills of yours."

Dante slowly rose his head, glaring daggers at the enemy. "Damn it…" he said weakly as he collapsed to the ground. As Jirobo raised his blade above the kneeling form of Dante, a speeding flash of light was heading straight toward the Soul Reaper.

Changing targets, the enemy slashed at the attack, which soon returned to its owner, Orihime. In her hand was a black and red fairy-like creature. "Stupid girl," it hissed. "I told you to aim before you shot!"

"Tsubaki…" Orhime whispered before the creature's form retreated into her blue flower hairpin.

Dante watched as Jirobo walked over to Orihime. A sinister glint shined in the Soul Reaper's eyes and his grip tightened around his sword. He towered over the orange-haired young woman before attacking. Dante used his scythe as support to lift himself off the ground. Thanks to those attacks dealt by the Soul Reaper, he could only watch as the foe attacked. "God, ain't this a bitch," he thought as he breathed heavily. "Here I am, bruised and shit watching something I already saw on the tube." He then heard the sound of a loose tile giving way. The black teen looked over the roof and saw Uryu trying to climb up.

The Quincy was giving it his all trying to return to the rooftop. _"I must hurry,"_ he thought. _"Orihime is in danger."_ He then noticed a long wooden pole lowering next to his face. _"What's this?"_ The Quincy looked up and saw Dante holding his scythe to assist him. "It's you!"

"Yeah it's me," Dante replied. "Now get your ass on this pole. Wait, why does that sound so wrong…"

"I won't even answer that," Uryu said. After grabbing the end of the scythe, he was pulled up by the black teen like a car at the end of a tow truck's hooked cable. After returning to the rooftop, the Quincy pulled out his blue and white striped bow. "Protect Orihime. Keep her safe."

"You don't have to tell me twice," Dante replied as he hurried to Orihime's aide. Just as he reached the girl, he saw Jirobo's blade ready to fall upon her. Luckily, it was intercepted by Uryu's spirit arrow, cutting his hand. "You might wanna get out the way, girl," Dante said as he dragged Orihime to a nearby corner.

After distancing themselves from the larger Soul Reaper, the two watched as Jirobo and Uryu squared off. "Uryu…" Orihime said. Dante turned his attention to the young woman. "That bow, his glove… He's been training hard."

"True that," Dante replied. "Kid Quincy's been busy. And look at that stare. He's ready to commit a 1-8-7 on this fool, ya heard!?"

"Well this is intriguing," Jirobo said. "One uses unknown techniques, the other wields a scythe, and the last is a Quincy. Two use projectile weapons, but all three are my enemies."

"What's your point?" Dante replied.

"I'm just saying this is a coincidence. A trick of fate, if you will." With a smile painted on his face, Jirobo held his sword in front of his, its blade pointing straight up. "Allow me to show you all the true form of my zanpakuto." The Soul Reaper placed his hand just over the end of the blade. He then pushed down on his sword, shouting "flap away, Tsunzakigarasu!" In an instant, the sword was reduced to a grip and the Death God was surrounded by small double-edged shuriken fluttering gracefully in the air.

Orihime was shocked while Dante and Uryu were unfazed. In fact, the black teen scoffed and said "I've seen that crap in a second-grade talent show."

"Now it is time for you to regret. I am Jirobo Ikkanzaka, the 4th ranked of Squad 7! I am also known as Kamaitachi Jirobo, thanks to my ultimate skill of projectiles. No one has seen my Tsunzakigarasu and lived to tell about it! I bet you are unable to follow them with your eyes. This is a glorious prelude to your demise." Uryu simply stood silently, waiting patiently as the enemy continued his ramble. "Your bows and arrows are useless against my attack. You're completely helpless. As a fellow master of flying weapons, you will-" Just before Jirobo could finish, his weaponry was completely destroyed by numerous beams of light. He stood still, flabbergasted at what happened.

"That's rather interesting, unlike in the living world," Uryu began. "It appears in this world, the ultimate skilled fighter just means windbag simply talking crap."

"About time you shut his fat ass up, son!" Dante replied. "This punk bitch was getting on my nerves."

"That… is impossible…" Jirobo replied. "You were simply lucky. Your arrogance shall be the end-" Just as Jirobo pulled out his weapon again, Uryu managed to shatter the blade with one simple shot.

"You still don't get it?" he asked. The only response he got was a loud yell of pain as blood rained upon the ground from Jirobo's wounded hand. "It looks like you'll have to drop your title. Because when it comes to projectile weapons, I'm the better man. Although Kamaitachi Uryu doesn't sound as good."

"Gyah! My hand! I can't move my fingers!"

"Oh yeah, you know what is!" applauded Dante. "Looks like big man Jirobo just got served on a silver platter with a side rice!"

"It would appear that now you are having regrets," Uryu said to Jirobo. "As a fellow user of projectile weapons, you must wish you had never met me."

"Insolent bastard," Jirobo hissed. "You dare to insult me!? I'll kill you!" Jirobo picked himself up and was ready to assault the Quincy. However, Uryu beaten him to the punch and shot two arrows at the ground near his feet. The Soul Reaper froze.

"I hope you know that was intentional. However, next time, I will not miss."

"Incredible! Such power… I hate to admit, but you speed and accuracy far surpasses my own! Never in my wildest dreams did I wish I would find such a powerful practitioner and fail miserably. You have already defeated me. Whether you torture me or destroy me, I don't care." After hearing the surrendering opposition's call, Uryu lowered his bow and straightened his glasses. "Why do you not finish me off? Are you going to let me live"

"I am a Quincy. I may not want to show mercy to Soul Reapers, but that does not mean I will beat on a weak foe either." With that said, Uryu's bow vanished into his glove. With a warning tone, he replied, "Now quit your whining and leave, before I change my mind."

Jirobo stood, his face lowered in shame as he held his wounded wrist. "It would seem you are a generous person. How unfortunate… for you that is!" Jirobo turned around to where Orihime and Dante stood.

But just before he could strike, Dante had already drew his sword, its blade aimed straight at Jirobo's head. "Like I didn't see that coming," he said. "Think you a big man for tryin' to out-muscle a chick that didn't have time to react? You're nothing more than a little fool who be frontin'. Time to teach you a lesson. Say sayonara, punk-ass!" With a powerful double slash, Dante struck Jirobo in his chest. The behemoth Death God collapsed from the attack. "Check it, 'cause that's how we do it."

"Dante, Uryu…" Orihime began. "Thank you for helping me."

"No problem. Just keepin' it real."

"There's nothing to thank," Uryu said nonchalantly.

"Because it was nothing, right?" Uryu turned to Orihime who gave a sweet smile. "So, is he…"

"Naw, I just shanked him so bad that he won't be able to use his soul power. The chump can shank his shimigami days good-bye."

"I see."

"Alright Dante, I have a few questions to ask you," Uryu said.

"Aight, lay it on me, cuz," Dante replied.

"Who are you and why did you help us?"

"Aight so check it, they call me Dante Blaine, agent of some secretive group. I found myself here in the Sereitei not too long ago after my powers be buggin', right? So after owning a few of these posers with my skills, I saw you two strugglin' with this nark and figured 'aight, time to lay the smackdown!' So here I am."

After the black-teen finished his explanation, Orihime and Uryu only stared at Dante in confusion. "What did he just say?" Orihime whispered to Uryu.

"I don't know for sure, but I think he said he help for no reason."

"Yeah, 'cause that's how I do, yo!" With a smirk on his face, Dante dashed over to Orihime his head tilted below her. "You know girl, how 'bout after your little rescue mission, you and I go study. I'm sure we have some lesson we can teach each other, eh?" he replied while suggestively moving his eyebrows.

"Well that sounds nice and all… but I think I'll be busy that day…"

"Oh that hurt."

"You know we're on a rescue mission?" Uryu said. "But how?"

"Well I'd tell you, but that would be breakin' the fourth. I don't wanna sound like my homeboy Wade, so imma have to keep it on the down-low and use da fif, knawmean?"

"Ever since you came here, we haven't understood a word you've said."

"True 'nuff." Ready to take his leave, Dante walked to the edge of the roof. Standing on the ledge, he said to the two ryouka, "Well, time to fade. If you need an assist, just holla at yo' boy! Peace!" With that said, the black teen hopped off the rooftop. Orihime and Uryu hurried to where they last saw him and looked down. Dante had seemingly vanished from the scene.

A few blocks away resting in a dead end, Dante stood against a wall inspecting his weapons. His battle with Jirobo enhanced his weapon's power and physical features. His katana was now a large zanbato. Its blade was longer and wider with a sharp end. His scythe had also grown. Its bottom tip had a diamond tip and four spikes protruded behind the blade. It was also bent back in the middle. "So, it's true. Not only do my forms evolve, but so does my steel along with 'em." A smile cracked on his face. "This is too cool to be true." Dante chuckled to himself before he left the alley. _"Now I'll finally get this punk-bitches for what they've done to me."_


	3. Chapter 3

Ch. 3

"Hey, I think I saw one over here!" shouted a Soul Reaper. "This way."

As the pursuing Soul Reapers headed down the road in hopes of capturing an intruder, Dante peered from the alley he hid in. "So much for a little rest. If I stay here any longer, those robes are gonna catch my ass," he said to himself. The black teen stood up, his weapons strapped to his back and sides. "Okay, now I gotta find somewhere safe for a while." Jumping on a rooftop, the teen scanned the area in hopes of finding somewhere hospitable.

Aside from the numerous small buildings that dotted the area stood a large tree-covered hill in the distance. Sitting on top of it was a tall tower known as the Tower of Penitence (a.k.a. the big jail where Rukia's at). On a cliff pretty close to it was the infamous Sokyoku Hill. As he scanned his surroundings, Dante couldn't help but to marvel at the scenery. "Damn…" he said. "This is one big-ass place. The cartoon didn't give it justice."

"Hey you!" a voice from behind called. Dante froze before turning around. Looking behind he saw two Soul Reapers approaching him. "We got you now!"

"Come with us quietly if you don't want to get hurt," said the other.

"Naw, that ain't how I roll, son," Dante said with a smirk as he pulled out his blade. "So how 'bout you try and put up so I can shut you up." With that said, the enemy Death Gods rushed at the black teen, who stood in a defensive pose. By the time the foes were in close range, Dante dispatched them with strong swipes of his spiked blade. The black teen looked down to the street below and saw his opponents lying on the ground. "So much for those two," Dante said to himself.

However, the fight (as short as it was) brought more Soul Reapers to the scene like sharks to a frenzy. It didn't take long for one of the wounded enemies to point to where he and his comrade received their injuries. The Death Gods looked up at Dante who stood with a blank stare and a sweatdrop. "Oh shit…" he muttered to himself as he slowly walked backward in an attempt to hide.

"It's one of the intruders!" shouted one of the foes. "Get him!"

"Shizznit!" Dante shouted as he ran north. Trailing not too far behind, the large group of Soul Reapers were giving chase. From the street below to the rooftops behind, the teen was pretty much a wanted man. _"Hey, why the hell am I running?"_ Dante thought to himself. _"I can take these fools on without even trying."_ After landing on the next building, Dante skidded to a stop before pulling out his scythe and setting his MP3 Player to "Scherzo di Notte," from Kingdom Hearts II. "You Soul Reapers think you can take the Grim Reaper? Bring it on, mothafuckas!" Not long after saying that, the first wave of swordsmen began their attack. Using the pole of his weapon, Dante blocked the storm of strikes, walking back with every attack dealt. He then retaliated with a powerful swipe of his scythe, throwing the opposition back. From behind, another group of Soul Reapers jumped on the roof from the street below. Before the foes could step foot on the surface, Dante swung his lengthy blade, sending a wave that tossed the death gods back to the road below. He then leapt to another rooftop and ran to the end before turning around and facing the enemies that caught up to him. The black teen moved to the other of the roof, dodging and blocking attacks from the incoming blades before throwing his foes in the air with a strong flick of his scythe. With immobile Soul Reapers up in the air, Dante attacked with strong cross slashes. After landing back on the surface, the bodies of defeated Shimigami rained from above. "Yeah that's right!" he shouted. "I make it rain on these hoes!" He then turned and saw that he was surrounded by an even larger number of Soul Reapers. "Death Gods to the left of me. Soul Reapers to the right. Can't a black man go his own business with a scythe and shit with out a bunch of samurai wannabes up in his grill!?" Dante shouted at the angry, yet wary Soul Reapers that covered the streets below and nearby rooftops. "This is some racist-ass bullshit! Imma give you all the royal right hand of the holy pimped one!"

As if on cue, the Soul Reapers started ganging up on the Dante, believing that power in numbers would be the key in capturing the rogue.

* * *

Not too far away from the action, a young woman with her hair in a bun wearing a black robe was hurrying to her squad's headquarters. During her trip, she was tightly holding on to a few documents tightly to her chest. This was Momo Hinamori, lieutenant of Squad 5. "I hope Captain Aizen won't be upset," she thought as she hurried to her captain's quarters. "I was so busy, that I nearly forgot about these forms."

However, her thoughts of duty were interrupted by a loud blast. She turned to the source of the noise and saw smoke rising from the west. "A ryouka!?" she said. At the moment, she didn't know what to do. She could continue on her way to deliver the documents to her captain. Of course, that would mean she didn't fulfill her duty by stopping the intruder when she had a chance. _"Captain Aizen will understand,"_ she thought to herself with resolve. _"At least, I hope so."_

"Lieutenant Hinamori!" called a voice from behind. She turned and saw a low ranking male Soul Reaper from her coming to her. "There was an explosion coming from this area. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," the young lieutenant said. She looked down at the papers she carried before looking back at the officer. "Excuse me, but can you give these papers to the captain?"

"Yes, Lieutenant Hinamori. Right away!" With the papers received, the officer hurried to Captain Aizen's office as Hinamori headed to the direction of the blast.

* * *

Standing on a pile of worn-out bodies and pained groans at least fifteen feet high, Dante stood triumphantly on the hill of Soul Reapers. With hands on the sides of his hips, he guffawed. "Hell yeah! That's right! You don't mess wit' the best!" he shouted. "I ain't no Soul Reaper! I ain't no Grim Reaper! I. Am. Da 'Pimp Reaver!' Masta slasha numba one in this mother bitch! No one got shit on the OG!" Jumping off his defeated foes in a front flip, Dante landed on his feet and began walking off. "After fighting those punks back there, I have the strength to switch to that Deinonychus form anytime. Now to find a place I can crash at…"

"Hold it right there!" a woman shouted from behind the black teen. Dante turned to face the woman and smiled. It was Hinamori who had just arrived and was ready to fight. "On behalf of Squad 5, you're under arrest!"

"Hey, I know you!" Dante said with a flirtatious eye. "You're that Hinamori chick from the 5th. Old buddy of Toshiro. Gotta say, you're a lot cuter in person."

"Wh-what?" Momo replied in a stunned manner as her cheeks were flushed red. "How do you know about me?" she asked as she tried hiding the red on the cheeks brought by the last sentence.

"Well… Let's just say it would take a lot of broken walls to patch and too much off the Rolex," the black teen answered nonchalantly. "Let me guess. You're gonna take me into the slammer and throw away the key."

Momo regained her composure, her face more serious. "That's right. You ryouka are trespassers. You will be detained until you await further punishment." Dante gave a smirk. Even when she's ready to fight she looked cute. "What's so funny?"

"Oh nothing. But I just can't throw in the towel now, girl. I'm trying to find my way back to my world. Can't do that in a cage, you feel me?" Dante armed himself with his scythe and "Children's Story" by Slick Rick playing in his ears. "The name's Dante and maybe after this is over, we can get a bite. I know this one KFC where I saw Christopher Walken chowin' on a BLT. Cool guy. Love his work." Hinamori also drew her zanpaukto before charging at the black teen. Quickly, Dante made haste toward the Lieutenant. By the time they met, Hinamori slashed at her opponent, who blocked the strike with the pole of his weapon. In retaliation, Dante pushed the young woman back and struck with a cross slash. The Soul Reaper blocked the blow before coming in and making a slash of her own. Dante was barely able to move his face from the blade's path as he made room between himself and the Death God. "Hey babe, watch where you swing that," he said. "Somebody could get hurt."

"If it's the only way to stop you, then so be it." Hinamori rushed to his left flank and attacked. Dante quickly blocked the hit and struck with the blunt end of his weapon. Hinamori moved back, holding her stomach. Dante then slashed upward with his blade, but the attack missed as Hinamori rolled to the side. Quickly, she slashed with her blade, causing the scythe-wielder to stagger. Just as he recovered from the hit, Dante looked up and saw the Soul Reaper in the air, her zanpakuto ready to pin him in the ground. Dante rolled under the attack, leaving the Lieutenant to stab empty road. He then stabbed the bottom of the scythe's pole into the ground and vaulted himself forward, his legs kicking Hinamori back. He then rushed to Momo's location and was ready to strike once more until… "Snap! Tobiume!" the Lieutenant shouted as she raised her sword to block the attack. Dante was surprised by the action and her blade's drastic change. Now her zanpakuto was not a katana, but a long, straight jian (Chinese longsword) with three smaller blades sprouting from its side like a tree. He was also sweating as one of the blades was only inches from his nose.

"Damn!" he replied. "Any closer and I would've needed more nose surgeries that Philis Diller and Michael Jackson!" Quickly, Dante leapt back. Hinamori quickly went on the attack using powerful slashes and stabs. All Dante could do was stay on the defensive, block and dodge the attacks until he was able to put some distance between himself and the Soul Reaper. However, the enemy used her zanpakuto's ability and fired pink balls of spiritual energy at the black teen. Dante dodged the strikes, replacing his scythe for his sword during the evasion as he continued his approach to the Lieutenant. Hinamori launched her attacks at Dante, who held his blade in front of him. However, one of the strikes managed to hit the ground in front of him, tossing the teen back. Hinamori stood defensively, her sword ready for attack. She scanned the street, which was covered in a wall of smoke.

Suddenly, a loud roar echoed from the cloud ahead before a pair of jaws filled with sharp teeth charged toward her, its long feathered body flying out of the smoke like a serpent. Hinamori quickly blocked with her blade which was caught in the creature's jaws. Jerking the beast off Momo stood awe-stricken. "What the…!?" she replied. "Could this be…?"

"What's wrong, babe? Missed me?" Dante purred before as he displayed his hand claws and tapped his sickle foot talons on the ground with anticipation. The risen feathers on his head and arms rustled violently. "Let's do it!" With a screeching roar, Dante charged toward Momo, who had also charged after him. Momo fired her spirit blasts at the Deinonychus, but the raptor's speed and agility allowed it to dodge with a primitive grace. _"Heh… I'm a hell of a lot faster in this form that my normal body,"_ he thought as the corners of his mouth were upturned in a smirk. After seven rounds, Momo once again fired another large ball of spiritual energy which headed straight toward Dante. Before the round hit, Dante somersaulted high into the air, dodging the attack and heading straight to Momo. Quickly, Momo sidestepped from Dante's landing point as his feet touched the ground with almost cat-like grace. Momo quickly struck the beast with her released blade, but Dante backed away from the strike before snapping his jaws. Now both the Soul Reaper and Dante were parrying blows, spirit sword clashing with curved claws. However, the raptor, using his ninja-like style, overtook Momo when he suddenly swung his long tail at the Soul Reaper, causing her to hit a nearby wall and drop her blade. Momo opened her eyes and saw her sword, which reverted to normal. She tried to get to it, but was intercepted by Dante as he stood just in front of the blade. "No sword for you!" he roared.

Momo was now motionless, staring at the Deinonychus with fear written on her face. Dante moved his long face closer to Momo's. "What will you do?" she asked. "Finish me off?"

Dante moved back and began chirping and honking. "Naw, girl," it translated. "See I don't usually fight wit' chicks unless they can throw down, ya feel me? Besides…" he then brought his head toward her again, his slit iris in the middle of his red eye focusing on her. "Why would a brother like me wanna cut down such a cute flower?" Dante walked backward, stepping over the blade before moving it forward with his snout. Dante ran down the street until he was at an intersection before returning to his human form and shooting her a smile. "See you later, cute Momo." With that said, he took a left turn.

Momo was still standing with mixed emotions. Even with the sword out of her hand, she still could have used her kido against the ryouka. Then there was the question of why he didn't finish her off? However, the Lieutenant quickly returned to reality and hurried to give her report of the battle to Captain Aizen. She can ponder about all of that later.

A couple hours after the battle and Dante finally found a place to rest. It was a small shed between the fifth and sixth squads. Clutched in his claws was a robe he stripped from a wayward Squad 10 officer (don't worry, Dante didn't kill him. He only knocked him unconscious, stripped his clothes, and hung him upside down from a roof). Going inside after returning to his human form, the black teen slipped on the stolen attire. The inside of the shed was pretty empty. With nothing but brooms and other cleaning equipment. Though there was a small bottle of sake that sat on a top shelf (don't ask why). "Man what a day," he said to himself as he sat against the wall. It didn't take long until a thought crossed his mind. Looking at his weapons and back to his clothes, he knew that his disguise would be compromised if he ran around with those weapons. _"Great,"_ he thought. _"Might as well run around with a neon arrow saying 'Seireitei's Most Wanted!'"_ Walking over and placing his hand on both the scythe and sword, both weapons reverted to their katana forms. "Alright, playtime's over, you two. Go back to what you were." In a small flash of light, both weapons changed to slender katanas. He placed them on his back in a crossing fashion and grabbed the sake bottle and drank it in a corner.


	4. Chapter 4

Ch. 4

After about an hour of rest, Dante opened the door of the shed. With his swords placed sheathed at his sides and his fingers wrapped around the sake jug, the black teen strolled with in a rather inebriated gait. "Man, this is some good ass drink," Dante said before taking another swig. "Guess stuff from an anime is better than the real world. Makes me wonder about the here Kool-Aid…" Before Dante could ponder anymore, a group from Squad 11 passed by the ryouka, paying no attention to the teen. Dante only turned and stared at the mob blankly. "Either those guys seriously need they eyes checked, or they didn't even notice my black ass." With that realization, a smile grew on his face. "Sweet. They think I'm a regular Soul Reaper. My plan worked like a charm." Still snickering triumphantly, Dante turned around, taking a comforting drink from his jug. Just as he lowered his drink, he felt his body being hit by something hard and then found himself lying on the ground. "Ah…" he replied as he lifted his head. "What the hell?"

"Oh no! I'm sorry, sir!" said another voice. Dante turned his attention to his midsection and saw a small young man with shoulder length hair and a droopy gaze resting on his stomach. "Are you okay?" Quickly, Dante tossed the Soul Reaper of his person as he returned to his feet, his hands placed on the hilts of his swords. Apparently, the collision knocked the alcohol right out of him. "Please don't hurt me!" the young Death God replied. "It was an accident."

"What the hell you thinkin' running into a black man like that!" Dante shouted. "I oughta pimp smack you so hard, you'd be covered with more colors than just black and blue. And where the hell's my pimp juice!?"

Scanning the ground, the Soul Reaper searched desperately for Dante's jug. Luckily, the jar only rolled a few feet away. Quickly, he picked it up and gave it to the pissed swordsman. "Here you go, sir," he said timidly.

"Yeah, you best give me that, fool!" Dante hissed as he snatched his jar back from the Soul Reaper. Before he took a sip, he eyed the Death God. "Wait a minute…" Dante said as he moved his head forward and inspected the young man. He knew there was something familiar about this one. After a minute, he finally understood who he was. "I know you! Hanataro Yamada. The 7th man in Squad 4! Yo, you is one lucky sonuvabitch. With that hot Unohana and Isane, yo' ass must be livin' it up, son!"

"Uh… Wait. You know me?" Hanataro asked in confusion. "Who are you?"

"Uh…" Dante froze before whispering to himself, "God, I gotta stop doing that." He then turned to Hanataro as an idea popped in his head. "I wouldn't think you've heard of me. My homeboys call me Dante Blaine, master of the ancient art of keepin' it real."

"Dante, huh? That's a nice name. Are you new here?"

"Yeah… That's right," Dante said. "I just joined Squad 10. But soon, Imma make it big up in this bitch. Be a captain of my own squad. Ya feel me?"

"Really?" Hanataro asked. "But there are only 13 court squads here."

"So? That doesn't mean they can't squeeze in one more, son," Dante said. "Hell, if it all goes smooth, I might let you be my lieutenant. I hear the ladies dig a man with a title."

"What!?" Hanataro replied. "Are you serious?" Suffice it to say, Hanataro did not expect to hear such an invitation. Especially when he was a stranger he just met who first threatened his life.

"Is there a problem, kid?" Dante said with a raised eyebrow.

"No! No! I'm really honored!" Hanataro quickly replied. "It's just that I really need to catch up to my group. You haven't seen a team of shinigami come by here, have you?"

"So that's who you're rollin' wit'?" Dante asked. "Uh…" the swordsman pointed to the direction he saw the group head in. "If you hurry, you might catch up to yo' boys."

"Great! Thanks, Dante!" Quickly, Hanataro hurried to join with his with the group.

Dante, too, was ready to go his separate way. He took a drink of his sake with a satisfied smile on his face. "Like I said, he's cool. Kid just don't know it yet. All he needs is a some trainin' and to find his inner G, and that fool would be an unstoppable ladykiller." After taking another drink, Dante then came to a realization. "Hold on! If Hanataro was right here, that means he hasn't met with Ichigo and Ganju yet!" Quickly turning a one-eighty, Dante hurried over to where he last saw Hanataro leave. "That means I'll finally get to meet ol' Strawberry himself." With a smile on his face, Dante leapt on a nearby rooftop and sped for his destination.

* * *

Not too far away, Hanataro was in quite a predicament. It turns out that the team he was racing after weren't his group. They were all Zaraki's men from Squad 11. Hoping to pass by them and join his teammates, the healer instead found himself as a hostage of the two ryouka Ichigo Kurosaki and Ganju Shiba. "Hey bastards, clear a path!" ordered Ganju with a triumphant smile as he held Hanataro by the collar of his robe.

"…If you value your buddy's life!" followed Ichigo with a sinister glare and his blade threateningly close to the diminutive healer.

Noticing the ryouka's giant sword at such a close proximity to his neck, Hanataro couldn't help but to scream in horror. "Nooooo! Please let me go!" he pleaded. "Let me go!"

Oddly, as the young Soul Reaper cried, the mob which trapped them from both sides were rather still in both disbelief and confusion. In all of their professional carriers as hardened warriors, they have never seen such a sight of insanity. Silence filled the entire street and both ryouka were skeptical as the shinigami themselves. "Wow, what's with this atmosphere?" Ganju asked.

"Maybe they didn't hear us," Ichigo said with a thoughtful tone. "Do you wanna try this again?"

"Um… well okay." Taking it from the top, the two began to threaten their opponents once more. "Hey baaastaaaards! Clear a paaath!"

"If you value your friend's life!" Hanataro only stood silently, now more unsure than afraid. "Hey, come on," the orange-haired shinigami nudged.

"Oh right," Hanataro replied. "Please help me."

"The hell…?" replied one of the Soul Reapers.

"What the hell are you two doing?" asked another enemy.

"What does it look like?" Ichigo asked innocently. "We're taking a hostage. What else?"

"Right. Let me ask you guys something. Does this guy really look like one of us?"

"Well…" Turning back to Hanataro, the orange-haired shinigami whispered, "Which squad are you from?"

"I'm from Squad 4," the healer answered. "These guys are from Squad 11."

"How are they different?"

"This is too pathetic," said one of the shinigami. "You two really are from the outside. I hate to have to tell you this, but watching you go on thinking we're the same group makes me sick so why don't you listen up. There are thirteen squads that protect the Seireitei. We, of Squad 11, have the strongest captain of all the squads. We are the strongest out of all the squads here!"

"That's why we're at the front line when it comes to combat!"

"Yeah!" replied every Soul Reaper in the vicinity.

"Now that I think about it, all these shinigami have some crazy hair," said Ganju as he examined the opposition. "This guy's just ordinary looking."

"Thanks," said Hanataro.

"So you're from Squad 4, huh?" the orange-haired swordsman asked. "Is it good?"

"Of course. Squad 4 is a great squad."

"Yeah right!" replied another shinigami from Squad 11. "Squad 4 is just a backup group that specializes in relief and supply. It's where all the weaklings who don't have the guts to properly swing a sword are from. I don't even see why they exist."

"So don't call us buddies. They suck!"

"That's why we of Squad 11…"

"…Hate their guts!" shouted the entire street of shinigami.

"So if you wanna kill him, be our guest."

"Whoa!" shouted the large man and Hanataro. Now both were fearful as the bloodthirsty mob cheered for the healers death and the capture of the two ryouka. However, before anything happened, a laugh louder than the mob echoed through the nearby area. "Now what?"

"This is some dope ass shit up in here!" the voice replied. "Damn! If only I had my camera on me! Guess I'll just settle with what I got recorded on TiVo."

"Who is that?" shouted one of the Squad 11 officers.

"Oh these fools don't know?" the voice called. "They don't know about me? Well shut yo' mouths and open yo' ears 'cause Imma tell you who dis is, son!" On a roof of a nearby building, a small cloud of smoke began to form. "I am the gangsta who pimps in the night! I'm you fool's daddy who hasn't paid for child support in fifteen years!" The smokescreen then lifted, revealing a black teen in Squad 10's robes. "I am Dante motherfuckin' Blaine! Bow down to a true pimp, bitches!"

"Who the hell is this guy?" Ichigo thought out loud.

Dante then turned to Hanataro. "Yo, kid," he said as he nudged his head up. "What it do?"

"Dante!" Hanataro shouted. "What are you doing here?"

"Yeah, what gives!" shouted another shinigami. "What's a Soul Reaper from Squad 10 doing here? We found these guys first."

"The hell you think, you ugly punk-ass!" Dante shouted. "I'm here to see what's going on. Didn't know that it was another Squad 11 group jerk off. So tell me. Who's winning?"

"You little bastard. Keep on running your mouth, and we'll slice it off!"

"Man, go suck a rabbit's foot you unlucky mother bitch!" He then turned to the ryouka, his gaze on Ichigo in particular. The orange-haired substitute also stared intently on the young teen. As they locked eyes, Dante couldn't help but feel a strong presence coming from the intruder. "Damn, this motherfucker here, man! The force is strong in this foo'! Someone check to see if he's on the juice, knawmean!?"

"What did this guy just say?" Ganju asked his hostage.

Hanataro only shrugged. "No idea. To tell you the truth, I just ran into this guy not too long ago."

Dante turned back to the enemy shinigami. "Yo, devil's dejects. How 'bout you make yo' asses useful and save my boy over there."

"You're kidding!?"

"Why the hell should we help this Squad 4 scum? And why should we even bother listening to you!?"

"That's right! The only person we take orders from is our captain."

"You don't know? God, bet y'all be doin' is strokin' and pokin' yo'selves over Yumichika."

"How dare you!"

"Think about it, butt-uglies. If you save my boy over there, then you might get what we call a 'happy ending.' I'm sure that Captain Unohana or Lieutenant Isane would be very grateful to the guy who returns him safely. I mean, have you seen them? Those chicks are stacked and fine as hell, man! Bet you the water in the onsen room's gonna be hotter than a cup of hot tea in that bitch. Or you'll get more than just a plain massage. If you know what I mean?"

Needless to say, the shinigami understood exactly what Dante meant. Every Soul Reaper in the street had faces red with blood rush. The cause was one common thought on their minds: Captain Unohana and Lieutenant Kotetsu mist-covered nude bodies welcoming the lucky savior with open arms in a steamy spring. "Hey he's right!" shouted one of the shinigami in agreement.

"I wanna get lucky!" replied one of the men.

"Dream on!" shouted another. "Like Unohana would want you!"

"Shut up, you bastard!" Before the mob could make their minds, the group began to argue with itself before punching one another in the face. Instead of focusing on the task at hand, egos and fantasies were on the line.

Hanataro, Ichigo, and Ganju only stared in disbelief as the fight that broke out. Dante, on the other hand, only laughed. "God, I love riots!" he said to himself. "This would only be better if there was a chair I could throw!"

"This is crazy…" Ichigo said with a hand on his forehead. Suddenly, a bright light glowed intensely from a nearby wall. Before anyone could take notice, the building exploded with a loud blast. Everyone in the area was baffled by the event.

"What was that?" Ganju asked.

"Don't know…" answered the orange-haired ryouka. "But whatever it was… It did the number of enemies in half!" Taking advantage of the diversion, Ichigo and Ganju bolted towards the remaining foes with Hanataro being carried over the pyrotechnician's shoulder. Swords swung and yells echoed through the street. Dante leaped off his perch and transformed into his Deinonychus form. Tracking down their scent and left behind spirit energy, he followed the trail and took out any unlucky shinigami that crossed his path.

* * *

It didn't take him long to find the building the trio were hiding out in. With the coast clear, Dante returned to his original form and casually knocked on the door. "Who is it?" Hanataro asked from the other side.

"It's the milkman," Dante said in a sing-song tone.

"Really? I didn't order know we had a milkman." Hanataro opened the door, despite the complaints from his captors on the other side.

Dante only stood at the doorway and said with a plain look, "Moo, bitch." Ichigo quickly drew his zanpakuto from its cloth and held it in front. Dante, also pulled out his blades, just in case the situation intensified. "Kid, you best put that knife down before you cut yo'self!" the black teen warned.

"It's okay, guys!" Hanataro said defensively as he placed himself between the rogue Soul Reaper and the black teen.

"What are you talking about?" Ganju said. "He's one of the guys that tried to get us killed earlier!"

"No, that was called a diversion. I mean, come on! Did you get a good look at them losers. I bet you none have been with a woman since the Menji dynasty."

"Ganju's right," Ichigo said. "Then again, if he wanted to try something, he would have already done so."

"Ah ha! And the award for most observant goes to the orange-haired kid with a big ass blade! Now, why don't we lower these down before someone gets hurt." Cautiously, both swordsmen lowered their blades. They eyed each other warily before seeing there was no threat.

"How about we introduce ourselves," Hanataro said, hoping to help ease the tension in the room.

Taking his advice, the three ryouka sat down on the floor with their legs folded.

"I'm Ichigo. Ichigo Kurosaki."

"The name's Ganju Shiba. I'm part of the noble Shiba house."

"You can call me Dante Blaine, a.k.a. Darkman Raze, a.k.a. Dr. Heines, a.k.a. Barracuda Escobar..."

"My name is Hanataro Yamada."

"Dude that's lame," both Ichigo and Ganju said in monotonous unison.

"What?" the shinigami asked. He was somewhat surprised by the reaction he received. "My name is certainly not lame."

"Look, where I come from, the word 'Hana' means flower and that's real lame," Ichigo said. "You might as well just call yourself Blossom."

"H-Hey!" Hanataro retorted. "I think it's a great name! How about you, Dante?"

"Sorry, but as pimp as you might get, Ichi's right on this one," Dante said. Of course, he earned a glare from Ichigo, though the teen paid no attention to it. "Not only that, your full name pretty much means 'Missing Girl-Boy.' If I were you, I'd look into a change real quick."

"I don't even see why we should know the enemy's name," Ganju said. "And another thing. Why are you two even introducing yourselves in the first place?"

"Well… to tell you the truth, I don't really know," Hanataro said.

"Hmm… Makes a brother wonder," Dante said as he rested a hand on his chin.

"Here's a better question," Ichigo began. "Why did you bring him for?"

"Well I couldn't just leave him on the ground. He was just sitting there and I accidentally picked him up!"

"Accidentally? What are you? A garbage man?"

"Hey, you're the one that let the other guy in!"

"Please settle down, you two," Hanataro said with concern. "You guys don't have to fight over me."

"We're not fighting over you!" shouted Ganju and Ichigo.

"Alright, but if you guys keep yelling, the other Death Gods will be here in no time." Heeding the healer's warning, the two ryouka quickly covered their mouths.

"Man, this almost reminds of Cheech and Chong's last fight," Dante said to himself. "Though who will play a chihuahua and who will play the squirrel master?"

* * *

Meanwhile, back at Squad 10 headquarters, Captain Hitsugaya was occupied with a pile of paperwork. Of course, not all of it was his. Half of them belonged to his lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto, who had once again ditched her duty. Of course, the only difference this time was that she had to report to a meeting with the lieutenants from the other squads. Between the recent ryouka business and the meeting, she had legitimate reason for being behind on her work (for once).

However, as he was working, he couldn't get his mind off what he saw earlier. How could a Deinonychus, an animal which has never been seen by either mortal or shinigami eyes, be walking around in the Soul Society. He's read of creatures like this from books in the mortal realm. Dinosaurs the humans called them. From what he's read, they've been long gone. Perhaps he was hallucinating due to stress. Then again, different squads have reported confronting an agile dragon-like creature with sharp claws and large fangs carrying a scythe and sword on his back. However, with each sighting, there were many different descriptions. What he saw was a creature covered in scales. However, those who have engaged it claim it had feathers on parts of its body. Still something didn't add up. For a creature like this, a slew of reports should have came in. Instead, between each attack, the beast seems to have vanished. How is it that something the size of a man with such natural weaponry manage not be detected between such lengthy periods? Even for highly trained shinigami, this was not possible?

Before he could continue pondering, he was returned to reality by a knock on the door. "Yes, come in," he said. Stepping into his office was a Fifth Division shinigami. He walked in front of the young captain's desk and gave a bow. "You're from Squad 5, are you not?"

"Yes, Captain Hitsugaya," he said. "Captain Aizen has a report he wishes to give you."

"Really? I'm sorry, but I'm too busy. Perhaps another time."

"It's about Lieutenant Hinamori," just as the officer said this, Hitsugaya stopped what he was doing. His pen was just hovering over a document and a pale look of concern had covered his face.

"Hinamori?" he said. "What is it?"

"Lieutenant Hinamori was wounded in battle today by an individual. Apparently, it was from one of the intruders."

"A ryouka fought her?" he asked. This was hard to believe. Hinamori is a highly skilled kido expert and a lieutenant shinigami. Whoever, this intruder was, he was a powerful foe.

"Correct, Captain. She said that the individual fought with two large weapons. One a sword the size of his body. The other being a scythe with a long blade."

"How severe are her injuries? Will she survive?"

"Lieutenant Hinamori was not too badly injured. Apparently, she only received a few cuts and bruises from her battle. In fact, she is being briefed with the other lieutenants."

Hitsugaya gave a small sigh of relief. The good news was that she was still alive and well. That's what matters. "I see. Is that all?"

"Not quite, sir. The ryouka Hinamori had fought. She said that he had the ability to transform into a fast man-sized creature. It's possible that it might be the beast which has been wreaking havoc as of late. Recently, he has been seen wearing Squad 10 robes." Hitsugaya stayed quiet. The underling could feel the air in the room dropped suddenly. "Captain?"

"You are dismissed," Hitsugaya said rather sternly.

Feeling the young genius' power increase, the Squad Five officer bowed and hastily left. Hitsugaya only sat in his chair. His reiatsu was now building up as he realized what happened. First this ryouka attacks his fellow shimigami. Then he defeats his childhood friend. Now he was impersonating a member of his squadron. Maybe it was his overprotective nature toward Hinamori or his own pride he felt was on the line. Either way, Hitsugaya had one more thing to worry about. And there was only one thing that crossed the captain's mind, _"If I find this ryouka, whoever he is, he will have hell to pay."

* * *

_"Is the coast clear?" Ichigo asked.

Looking out a nearby window, Ganju carefully scanned the nearby streets for any Death God. At the moment, there were no enemies anywhere. "No one's here. At least, not yet."

"We're still screwed. 'Cause even if that bald guy I fought was telling the truth about Rukia being held in some white tower, we still have no idea on how we're supposed to get there."

"I have a map," Ganju said. Pulling out a small piece of paper, Ganju held the map. Both Ichigo and Dante scanned it. Problem was, it was nothing more than a large circle separated in quarters with a smaller circle inside. "We can use it to avoid running into any captains out there. If only there was a way to find where the enemy was."

"You call this a map?" Dante asked. "There's nothing here, dawg. I've seen more detailed shit on fan forums and google than this piece of crap here!"

"Watch it, kid," Ganju warned.

"Wait…" Ichigo turned his attention to the small picture in the corner. Seeing it being a drawing of Ganju's face, the substitute soul reaper knew exactly what this meant. "You dumbass! You made this yourself!"

"At least I came prepared! Where you guy's map!"

"Man, I have more of an idea on where we are than these scribbles!" Dante said.

"Yeah, right."

"Yeah, right!"

"Um, excuse me," Hinataro called.

"Look, would you but out of this," Ichigo said. "We're in the middle of serious tactical conversation here."

"Why don't you hit the road," Ganju said. "You're not gonna be much use anyway."

"Sorry, girl-boy," Dante replied. "Mature grown-ups are talking over here."

"You guys said you're looking for Rukia Kuchiki, aren't you?" Hearing this, Ichigo quickly turned around. Dante, seeing the drama unfold, sat down on the table. "I thought so. It all makes perfect sense. The Squad 6 captain's younger sister being held as a capital offender. The white tower you said she's being held in must be the Repentance Cell. If you trust me, I can get you into that tower. There's a hidden path I know which can take you there."

The room became silent as Ichigo started to decide on what to do. This shimigami seemed like he knew Rukia and was willing to assist them. And at the moment, it didn't seem like there was any other choice. Sooner or later, some shimigami would open the door and they'd be caught. Ichigo nodded his head. "Alright Hanataro," the rogue substitute said. "Lead the way."

"Are you sure about this?" Ganju asked.

"We don't have any choice. We either move now or wait until two thousand Soul Reapers come swarming in like cockroaches."

"About time we got moving," Dante said. "You thinking was starting to make me bored."

"What are you talking about 'we'?" Ichigo asked. "Who said you were coming? We don't even know why you're even here."

"Let's put it this way, kid: If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be in this mess."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Exactly as I said, Ichi."

"Guys, we should get out of here now," Hanataro said. "If we don't go now, we might not have another chance." Taking the small shimigami's words into consideration, Ichigo exchanged a quick glance to Dante before leaving the building.

The four hurried down the road, turning a few corners during their travel. They made sure they weren't spotted by the enemy. Soon, they found themselves in an empty intersection where Hanataro pulled off a tile, revealing a tunnel way that extended underground. "This way," he said before he climbed down the ladder. The three intruder gave eachother quick glances before following the healer's lead.


	5. Chapter 5

Ch. 5

After finding a hidden passage thanks to Hanataro, the group found themselves in an underground waterway just below the surface. Using the sidewalk, they strolled down the path, safe below the streets. "Man, I never thought to use these sewers as a way to get around," Ganju said.

"These aqueducts run throughout Seireitei," Hanataro said. "We can get to anywhere from here without worrying about any problems."

"That's pretty tight," Dante said. "But be real wit' me, kid. Wouldn't the Soul Reapers know about this place? Hell, the thing wasn't even that hidden."

"It's true that everyone knows about these tunnels, but no one would ever think of looking for us down here."

"And why is that?" Ichigo asked.

"Well the only people that actually know their way around these tunnels are a small number of Squad 4 personnel who use it for relief and supplies."

"I get it," Ganju said. "This place is also your delivery route. I guess that makes sense."

"Well not exactly," Hanataro said as he gave a light chuckle. "Actually, it's Squad 4's task to keep it clean down here. We're pretty much stuck with most of the chores since we're not much use for anything else..."

"Wow, cleaning up sewers," Ganju whispered. "I'm starting to feel sorry for the kid."

"True that," Dante replied. "Even illegal aliens get at least a quarter for all the shit they do. This fool's getting the royal rip-off."

"Hey, Dante," Ichigo called.

"Hm? What it do, Ich?" he asked.

"About what you said earlier. What do you mean by it's because of me you're here?"

"Ah ha!" Dante replied. "I knew that question was squirming in that brain of yours, carrot top. 'Course I thought it'd be asked later…"

"What the hell is he babbling on about?" Ganju asked. Ichigo only shrugged, paying no attention to the black teen's dialogue.

"Alright, let's start from the beginning. Remember when you first came here? You know, after your bubble popped and all y'all went in different directions like stray bullets from a uzi?" Dante asked. "Well, that little incident caused what I call 'a fuck up' in space-time. That little monkey wrench opened a rip in my crib that sucked me up like a techno-plunger straight to here."

"Wait, let me get this straight," Ganju said. "After we entered the Soul Society, we somehow opened a path to your world?"

"That's one way of saying it. And that's where you owe me big time."

"How the hell do we owe you?" Ichigo said.

"Man, you're deaf. Aside from getting tossed in this bitch, I was just about to get wit' a couple of fine-ass hunnays. One was a blonde from France and other was a busty goth from Chinatown. Put two and one together, and I was about to have an international Lupe Fiasco in Paris, Tokyo that be my pad! But thanks to you guys, I missed out on a once-in-a-lifetime sexual relation that would make the UN, John Morrison, the Miz, and Ricky Martin be jealous! What do you have to say about that?"

Needless to say, Ganju and Ichigo were somewhat awestruck by Dante's explanation. Their faces expressed confusion as they tried to wrap their heads around the black teen's words. They get the fact that he was from another world, still what he said afterwards was somewhat perplexing. Only Ichigo had a smidgen of what the swordsman was saying, but his comprehension was still limited. Still, the two tried somewhat to apologize. "We're… sorry…?" Ichigo said, still confused.

"Yeah… I guess…" Ganju said.

"Sorry!? Sorry don't make it rain on bitches, does it!?" hissed Dante with enraged eyes. However, his angry glare began to soften as his expression changed from being one of fury, to one of thought. "Then again… this place is loaded with its own chicks. That girl Orihime wasn't bad either…" With the thought swimming around his head for a while, a lecherous smile grew on his mouth. "Makes a brotha wonder what the ladies here are like? I mean, what they into 'cause I gots to stay on my game, ya feel me?"

"Well, I really don't know…" Hanataro said rather sheepishly. "I haven't really had much luck in that department."

"No kiddin'," Ganju said rather flatly.

The group continued their trek through the waterway. The sounds of flowing water was the only noise in the environment. Though they knew they were relatively safe, the team couldn't help but feel restless. Knowing that they were wanted above ground, there was always a chance that the enemy might discover a entry and find them. Ichigo was well aware of this fact. However, instead of his focus on the foe above ground, he was more uneasy about their guide. "Hey Hanataro," the substitute called. Hanataro stopped in his tracks. "Why are you assisting us? You say you're taking us to the white tower. But for all we know, you might be leading us to a trap."

"Cool it, Ichigo," Ganju interjected.

"How come you're helping us without even asking why?"

The four were silent. Dante, seeing another scene unfolding, sat and rested against the wall. His hands rested on the back of his head as he started listening. "It's because I've heard all about you from Rukia, Ichigo Kurosaki. Please, you must save Rukia." Ichigo glanced at the small Soul Reaper.

"Looks like he's not planning anything," Ganju said.

"_Ah Rukia…"_ Dante mused. _"She's one of those chicks that don't need a bust 'cause she's just so cute…"_

"Alright, then," Ichigo said. "But how do you know about Rukia?"

Hanataro nodded as he and the rest sat on the ground. "After Rukia was arrested and convicted her in Soul Society and before she was sent to the Repentance Cell, the white tower you know it as, she was sent to a holding cell in Squad 6. At the time, I was assigned as a janitor. To tell you the truth, I was a little scared. After all, she is part of a royal family. However…"

"However?" Ganju repeated as the Squad 4 member seemingly stopped in his story.

"Well on the first day I spoke to her, Rukia allowed me to call her by her name instead of using formalities. I was rather surprised. Her voice was so kind and she was so gentle. It was something I never expected. Since then, I've always been looking forward to cleaning her cell. Instead of a chore that I needed to do, it became more of an enjoyable experience. And as time passed, Rukia would tell all sorts of things, especially about the world of the living. About the drinks, how mod souls can be inserted into non-living objects, but most of her stories revolved around a person she met. Unfortunately, there was an official execution order sent for her by her brother and Captain of Squad 6. He said that in 25 days, she would be sent to death. I asked Rukia if the person she gave her powers to the same person that she talked about in her stories. She said to me 'He and I only spent two months together. And yet, I feel that I can trust him with my very life. But because of me, Ichigo's destiny became twisted and he was hurt terribly. There's no forgiving what I've done to him.' Rukia sounded so sad when she said those words." The team was quiet after hearing Hanataro's story.

"Sounds like this Rukia's a pretty weird Soul Reaper," Ganju said.

"Yeah, she's something else," Ichigo said as he got back up to his feet. "Which is why we're here to rescue her." Determined by his resolve, Ichigo started going ahead.

Dante only looked up with a smile. _"Man, just watching this guy, he's starting to remind me someone,"_ he thought. _"Oh wait, it's me. Maybe I should roll with Ich for a now. He seems cool. Besides, if I'm gonna get outta here, gain some heavy EXP., and get back to my little menage a trois, might as well follow carrot top."_ Quickly, Dante caught up with the substitute, passing Ganju and Hanataro along the way. "Looks like you got a fire in yo' eyes, man. Saving Rukia's getting you all fired up, huh?"

"That's one way of saying it, Dante," Ichigo said. "She's the one that gave me her power to help me defend my friends and family. I'm doing this to pay her back."

"'Ight, I get it. How 'bout this. Since I'm in a friendly mood, Imma lend you a hand. You holla at me and I got yo' back."

"Why would you want to help me? This doesn't concern you."

"Simple, Ich. See, I'm one of those people that's always itchin' to throw down and wreak havoc. Guess you can say it's in my damaged genes. Seriously." Ichigo glanced at Dante for a moment before shaking off the thought and continuing on his course. "And I also want to see if I can get wit' these Deadheads as captain 14. As for you, you're trying to get a member of yo' crew off of death row. Plus you also owe me for bringing me here in the first place. If you think about it, this is what some scientists call a mutaualistic relationship. You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours, and everyone else be KO'd. What you say, G?"

"What do you mean by your forms? You mean your zanpakuto?"

"Not quite. Here, let me give you a little demo." Pulling out one of his swords, Dante shouted, "Shred with the rage of the past, Kowa ro Shii Maru!" With his sword transformed into it's shiki state, the black teen used its special ability and morphed into his Deinonychus form. The raptor gave a loud roar that echoed through the tunnel. "Yeah, ain't this the baddest ass shit you've seen, G!?" Dante screeched. "I'm too gangsta down here wit' the swiftness, you feel me? Ninja turtles ain't got nothin' on me" Ichigo was in a state of shock by the sudden shapeshift (then again, he was power walking right next to a twelve foot long raptor that seemed to be keeping up with him in small steps). From behind, Ganju and Hanataro's jaws dropped to the ground at the pure shock of the sight. Seeing everyone's expressions, the black teen quickly reverted to his human form. "Trust me, when the feathers start shedding, preening's a real bitch. You can thank the damaged DNA those damn scientists gave me. But that's for another chapter."

"Wait, what did you say?" Ichigo asked in confusion.

"Whatever," Dante said as he fanned his hand. "Now what do you say? Truce?"

The orange-haired substitute scanned the maverick with a suspicious eye. His ability to transform could be useful and he seems like a rather competent fighter. Ichigo also sensed a strong presence from him (which had raised a bit as he transformed). Though he was still skeptical about Dante's intentions, judging from the current circumstances, he had no choice but to allow for his accompaniment. "Fine, it's a deal, Dante," the orange-haired teen nodded. "But don't do anything to get in the way."

"Word." With a smile on his face, Dante followed Ichigo down the tunnel with Ganju and Hanataro tailing them not far behind.

* * *

After traveling through the underground for a few minutes, the team came across a ladder that led to another tile. "I think this is it," Hanataro said. The small shinigami climbed up, followed by Ichigo, Dante and Ganju. Opening the panel, he peeked through the opening, scanning the area. It was a large, empty area covered in a thick fog. "The coast is clear," he said. "I think it's safe." Hanataro climbed off the ladder and moved the tile.

"Finally," Ganju said as Ichigo and Dante climbed out. "That sewer was rank. I hope that stuff didn't stick to my clothes."

"You think that's bad?" Dante asked. "Try chasing one of Uma Thurman's stalkers through a manure factory after he rubbed himself with day-old cheese that got more mold on it than Lisa Lampinelli's jokes."

"Wait… What did you say!?" Ganju replied in disbelief.

"Nothin'."

"Look! There's the White Tower!" Hanataro said as he pointed to the building in the distance. A large one indeed with a stairway that cut the center of it until it reached the top. Sitting on top of the structure was a cluster of white walls surrounding a smaller building of said color and the aforementioned tower. This was none other than the Soul Reaper HQ: Central 46. The group awed at the sight, but were still rather unnerved at how far it was.

"We may be at the closest exit," Ganju began, "but it looks like we still have a long way to go."

"Best stay on our toes, peeps," Dante said. "This is the higher-ups' turf."

"The fog's starting to lift," Ichigo said. The group watched as the blanket of moist air started to dissipate. "Let's move." With Ichigo in the lead, the group headed toward the stairway, entering the light cover. Halfway through their route, Ichigo stopped in his tracks.

"Hey, is something-" Ganju began before placing his hand in front of the large man. "What's wrong?"

"Someone's on those stairs."

"A perfect place to get the drop," Dante said as he braced himself.

Acknowledging the warning, the team focused on the stairs. With the fog continuing to lift, the team were able to spot a figure walking down the steps. Wearing a lieutenant's black gi, his face was adorned with thick black glasses with an orange stripe across the center. His hair was red and ponytailed. "It's been a long time," he said before pulling off his glasses. "Do you remember my face?"

"Believe me, you'll be forgotten soon enough," Ichigo said. "But before that, I'll be delivering some payback, Renji Abarai."

The two stared each other down, piercing through the thick cloud as if it weren't there. "I'm impressed," Renji began as he walked down the steps. "Not only have you remembered my face, you also remember my name."

"Man, who is he?" Ganju asked with disbelief. "His spiritual pressure is on a different scale than the guys we've faced in the past."

Hanataro only stared in fear, awestruck by the Death God's power. "Th-That's… That's Renji Abarai! He's the Lieutenant of Squad 6!"

"A Lieutenant!?"

"I can't tell. Does he have eyebrows?" Dante asked.

"I'm surprised to you're still standing. I thought you would have died from the attack my Captain delivered," Renji said. Ichigo said nothing as the two approached one another.

"Hold on a minute, Ichigo!" Ganju replied cautiously.

"I don't know how you managed to survive, but I'm impressed. You have my compliments." The gap continued to close. With each step the level of anticipation increased. As soon as they saw one another, Renji quickly drew his blade. "But like I said before, I'll kill the bastard who stole Rukia's power. And so long as you draw breath, she remain powerless."

With his hand wrapped tight on his sword, Ichigo's cloth was starting to come of his giant cleaver. "What the hell 're you saying? You brought her back to kill her!" Pulling his large blade to his side, the orange-haired substitute rushed at the lieutenant. "You'll let me through."

"Just try it! If you think you can beat me first!" Meeting the enemy's dare, Ichigo and Renji clashed swords. Pushing against one another's swords, the two's blades created sparks that flew in all directions.

"Yo, Ich! Let me in on the action, man!" an anxious Dante replied. "I want a I fought with one and came out on top. And seeing how strong he is, a joint strike would give the edge, man."

"No, Dante," Ichigo said as he turned around. "I know we had an agreement, but this is my fight. This is something I need to do on my own."

"So you have a sense of honor," Renji said as he pulled back his sword and struck. Ichigo was quick to react and blocked the strike. "Quite admirable."

"But Ichigo, he's-" Ganju replied before his arm was tapped by Dante.

"He's right," Dante said. "Homeboy here's got something he needs to prove. The only way to do that is to go one on one against the guy that nearly took him out. You gotta give Ich his props." A moment passed before a shiver went down Dante's back. Turning around, the black teen saw a couple of figures passing nearby. "Hey guys. I think we've got some company."

"What do you mean?" Hanataro said.

"We ain't alone. Imma go check out the snoops."

"I'm coming too," Ganju said.

"It's all good. It will only take a second." Turning around, the swordsman hustled to the nearby building. "Tell me how good the show was when I get back!" With that said, Dante turned a left and ran down the path.

* * *

After running down the road and reaching a fork, the teen turned a right. As soon as he did and went down the street, he found himself a victim of an ambush. Shinigami on both sides of his path blocked the exits. Looking closely at the foes, Dante noticed their uniforms were somewhat different. "Something tells me you're not from the 11th."

"Hahahaha!" A haughty laugh erupted from nearby his location. The black teen scanned both ends of the street before turning to a nearby rooftop. There, he saw a large, bulky man with a receding hairline whose gi had a large purple frill with a gold chain worn under it and on each of his wrists. As he stood on his perch, the foe was gorging himself on a bag of cookies. "Looks like you fell for my trap, ryouka! Don't think that because you wear a Squad 10 uniform, we wouldn't believe you as an imposter," the large man said. "I knew no one could be able to avoid my genius."

Knowing his cover was blown, Dante pulled off his confiscated gi and tossed it in the air, revealing his red and black attire. "Let me take a stab at who you are..." Dante said as he examined the foe. "Big-ass gut, purple frill, minor bling? You're Marechiyo Omaeda."

"So you've heard about me?"

"Sure I have! You're the guy who stuffs his face wit' as many cookies in a dessert shack as John Goodman when he scarfs down on chimichangas at an El Poyo Loco. Heh heh. Chimichangas. Now I'm getting why he likes that word…"

"You dare insult my built? For your information, Ryouka, I am merely plump. This is all muscle!"

"Plump? Hate to tell you this, but you've past that line a long time ago. You're so big you make the Taj Mahal look like a dollhouse, know what I'm sayin'? I'd suggest some Jenny Craig or Slim Fast, but I doubt it will help. The only person who can get away with that is my boy Mark Henry."

Marechiyo was now irked. This upstart was insulting him in front of his men. "How dare you speak to me like that! If you know my name, then you should know I am the lieutenant of Squad 2 who hails from the noble house of Omaeda! I am the strongest of all the second seats in the 13 Court Squads!"

"You can keep frontin' all you want, B. We all know that your fam bought you your high chair," Dante said as he leisurely scratched the back of his ear before brushing his hand against his shirt. "And the strongest lieutenant? Hate to break the news, but I'd be puttin' the Benjamins on the number 1 or 3."

Hearing Dante speak with such disrespect, Marechiyo was fuming. The strikes to his position was creating a couple of snickers in a few of his men. _"Perhaps we don't need to capture all the Ryouka alive…"_ the lieutenant thought. "Enough of this! Alright men, beat this Ryouka to the ground!"

"Oh you want some of me!?" Dante shouted as he turned his iPod to "Arabian Dream" from Kingdom Hearts II. "Don't you know I'm the only fool to beat Rodan with just my dick, became the first pimp to grace Time magazine, and was a bodyguard for Patrick Stewart and Morgan Freeman!?" With the order given, the shinigami rushed Dante from both sides, closing in on the enemy. As soon as they were a few feet, the black teen quickly spun in a circle, slashing down the foes. Not long after, a shinigami on his left tried to strike, but Dante dodged the first slash and countered with one of his own. Another from behind tried to slash him in the head, but Dante ducked under the stroke. "Shoryuken!" he shouted as he used an uppercut that connected under his attacker's jaw which sent him flying backward. Turning around, Dante headed toward the approaching enemies, using his swords to clear a path. By the time he reached the end of the route, Dante ran back, his blades crossed in front of him. By the time he was ten feet away, the swordsman jumped on the wall and ran across for a few strides before leaping off. "This is really gonna hurt!" he yelled before he spun sideways, his swords cutting through the foes. After landing on his feet, Dante then gloated, saying "Oh yeah! You bitches just got struck down by the Pinwheel Special!" Before he could continue his taunt, Dante heard a yell coming from a man coming in front of him. "Bitch, you best turn that down!" Quickly, Dante ran forward and jumped on top of him. Turning his katanas backward, he struck both sides of his head with their pummels. He looked ahead and saw three more enemies coming straight toward him. Quickly, Dante pushed his body and rolled before kicking the unconscious soul reaper. Before the three enemies could react, they were knocked to the ground by their comrade and knocked out. Seeing the lack of any more foes, Dante stood back up and spun his blades. "Yeah! I smacked you bitches up! Grandpa would be so proud that I busted that move! At least, I think he would," Dante said before he scratched his head. "Wonder if he's alive…"

"Impossible!" Marechiyo replied in disbelief. He scanned the route before him and saw it was covered in the bodies of his defeated men. "How could they all have fell so quickly?"

"Hey, Chow-Yum-Fatty!" Dante called. "If I were your ass, I'd be jettin'. Else I'd take your lunch money and cookies." Hearing this, Marechiyo snarled, his fist tightly clutching the top of his bag and a vein forming on the top of his head. "Damn, dawg. You really do need to lay off that stuff. It can give you stress. And look at that vein? Talk about high blood pressure. You need more than a chill pill. I think I can hook you up with Dr. Chiba."

"That's it! It's bad enough you beaten my men! But to threaten me about taking my snacks and calling me fat!? I'll kill you right where you stand!"

"Bitch, please! You don't know who I is, mother-" Before Dante finished, Marechiyo seemingly disappeared. That was before he felt a strong pain in his back and was sent cartwheeling down the street and into a building. "Oh shit…" Dante muttered as he sluggishly pushed the debris off his person. The good news was one of his blades was still in his hand. The bad news was its brother was standing outside.

"What's wrong, you little bastard?" the lieutenant asked. "At a lost for words? Guess you didn't think I was that fast. I'm one of the best shunpo users in Soul Society, brat!"

Dante used one of his swords to prop himself up, also trying to brush off the dust as he stood. _"Okay. Maybe I didn't read that volume yet…"_ The black teen was inhaling heavily, trying to catch his breath. "Alright, I give you points for that one. But that don't mean I'm throwin' in the towel. In fact, I'm just getting started."

"Is that so? You're really as dumb as you look."

"Maybe. But you're still fat _and_ ugly." Dante returned his sword in hand to his scabbard and walked toward his other blade. Marechiyo watched as the teen plucked the sword from its spot and stood. "And Imma make sure your fat ass goes down cold faster than a drunk rhino after watching a chick flick." With his sword's blade stretched out to the side, Dante shouted "Burst with the fury of the future, Akumu hi Ryuujin!" With a bright flash, his sword transformed into a scythe. The two stood silently for a moment, sizing one another up. Omaeda placed his hand on his zanpakuto's hilt, ready to make a move. Dante turned his music player to "Smoking Roll" from God Hand before both opponents bolted toward one another. As soon as they were at a five foot distance, the lieutenant pulled out his sword. With his weapon drawn, he slashed at Dante, who managed to block the hit with his pole. Soon after, the two began parrying one another's strikes, slashing and blocking attacks. Dante, being the smaller individual in close range, was using his speed and agility while the larger Marechiyo struck with powerful blows. Minutes passed until they both locked zanpakutos. Using his size and sheer strength, Marechiyo push against Dante to overpower him. "Damn it… I knew you would lay it down heavy, but not Liza Minelli heavy! Are you two distant cousins or something?"

"Don't you ever shut up?"

"Am I being annoying?" Looking down the ground, Dante noticed that the foe's legs were spread open. "Here, let me just apologize." Taking advantage of the shinigami's stance, the black teen pushed the sword forward and slid under the enemy's torso. As soon as he made it under, Dante pulled on each end of his scythe, causing Marechiyo to fall forward. "Oops! Did the big baby fall down?" he taunted.

"You bastard! I'll finish you off!" Marechiyo quickly rolled to the side as Dante stabbed the pavement his body was. Able to get on his feet, Dante was picked up by the head before being spun around and tossed into the air. Using his shunpo, Marechiyo leaped in the air and slashed down. Though Dante blocked the zanpakuto, the teen still crashed hard on the ground, his body breaking a few tiles on impact. "Now to end this!" With the end of his blade aimed downward, the lieutenant was ready to land right on top of the black teen.

"_This ain't good,"_ Dante thought before he rolled backward. However, though the initial attack missed, Marechiyo's landing sent a wave that shattered the pavement and tossed his prey into a nearby wall, his body embedded in the surface. "I've heard of being stuck… between a rock and a hard place… but this is just wrong!" he groaned before peeling away and landing on the ground.

"Was that all you had? I guess I was expecting too much from someone who was all talk but no bite." Ready to deal the killing blow, Marechiyo raised his sword high above Dante. "This will finish you off." With a smile on his face, the soul reaper slammed his sword into the ground, creating a cloud of dust on impact. Not long after the dust settled, Marechiyo was shocked at what he found. Nothing. Dante's body was gone. Only the blood that was left from him remained. _"What the hell…? Where did he go!?"_ The lieutenant thought with a dumbstruck face.

"Hey, big boy! Over here!" A familiar voice called out to his left. Marechiyo slowly turned his head to the source of the call, his face covered in sweat. What he saw was Dante standing with his scythe to help prop himself up. "What's that about no bite?" he said. "Bitch, I'm a raptor! It's in my job description!"

The large man quickly stood back up on his feet. "How did you survive! You were laying right there! I killed you!"

"Yeah, about that… See Akumu hi Ryuujin has a special ability. I was fast before I went shiki. But my boy gives me a little speed boost. It may not be as fast as my other zanpakuto, but it's still enough for a few good flash steps." With his explanation finished, Dante then pulled his scythe back charging power to the blade. "Also, it has another skill I've been wanting to use since it evolved…" Biding his time, Dante's weapon was starting to glow. Seeing this, Marechiyo hurried to his foe, hoping to stop him. However, the black teen already had him in his sights. "Is that fear I see in your eyes? Homing Laser!" With a swipe of his blade, Dante fired a volley of consecutive laser blasts aimed directly at the lieutenant. The Death God did his best to avoid some of the energy balls, but the attack still did enough damage for him to fall on one knee.

"That attack…?"

"Homing Laser gives me the power to bust a laser cap on a poor sucka. In other words, Dylan ain't the only brotha spittin' hot fire, knawmean?"

"Damn it!" Suddenly, Marechiyo started gathering Spirit Energy. Dante felt the foe's power starting to increase and cautiously stepped away, his scythe was held up in defense. "Fine, I'll admit that you are pretty crafty. But simple tricks can only get you so far."

"Really? Worked for you, Jell-O Man."

"Grrr… That's it you lowly fool." With his power at its peak, the lieutenant of Squad 2 shouted, "Crush, Gegetsuburi!" A flash of light came from his zanpakuto. Once it receded, his blade had transformed into a large spiked mace attached to a chain. "I'll smash you into the ground!"

"Bring it on!" Using his flash steps, Marechiyo headed toward Dante and swung his weapon. However, his attack was evaded by the target and Dante himself struck him back before using his own shunpo and appearing behind Marechiyo a few feet away. Reacting quickly, the lieutenant threw his mace at Dante, who blocked the strike. However, the ball-and-chain managed to hook his scythe by the pole and pull it out of his hand, tossing it behind Marechiyo. The foe threw his weapon again, but Dante managed to side jump the spiked sphere. Pulling out Kowa ro Shii Maru, Dante ran alongside the chain's trail, his sword held to the side. Marechiyo stared in horror as he was unable to react to the foe's katana's slash. Once he passed the lieutenant and picked up his scythe, Dante slid around watching blood drip from the enemy's right side. Returning his sealed sword to its scabbard, the black teen charged his scythe once more.

Marechiyo turned around, his chain left on the ground. "Please, don't do it!" he begged. "I'll give you anything you want! Just spare me!?"

"Sorry," Dante said. "Mercy in battle, right next to stock brokering, ain't how I do business." With that said, Dante unleashed his Homing Laser attack straight at the weakened man.

Unable to do anything but try and shield his face, the shinigami was struck by the volley and fell to the ground. Marechiyo Omaeda, lieutenant of Squad 2, laid defeated but still alive. "This cannot be…" the Death God said weakly. "Who… What are you?"

"I'm Dante Blaine, foo'" he answered. "Better recognize and get it memorized. 'Cause that's Imma be a captain up in here, son! Peace." Hearing those last words, Marechiyo slipped into unconsciousness. The battle was finally over and Dante doubled over. Holding his stomach and breathing hard, it was clear his fight took a lot of energy. "Whoa…" he panted. "Talk about a workout." Suddenly, his scythe started to change shape. Now his weapon had a longer, black blade with a smaller, more curved blade on the back. Its pole was striped with red and grey. Aside from his scythe, his clothes also changed. They were now black, with a thick, hooded cloak hanging over his shoulders. His pants were light, thin bell bottoms while his shirt was thin and long sleeved with thin red streaks and a large red eye in the center. "Okay, that's freaky…" Turning his attention back to Marechiyo, Dante noticed a small object next to his unconscious form. Using his scythe for support, he walked to its location and saw it was a bag of cookies that the noble was consuming earlier. "Mmm… Cookies…" Dante said with his mouth watering. It's been a while since he had anything to eat. It would be foolish to waste an opportunity for food. "So hungry." He picked up the bag and took out one of the cookies. Hey nibbled and found its taste irresistible. "Damn this shit is good!" he replied. After eating his snack, the black teen noticed his wounds were starting to heal. "Whoa, talk about soul food. Looks like this sweet-ass treat's givin' me some recovery. I think I'll keep 'em." With his reasons given, Dante started to leave the site, sealing Akumu hi Ryuujin in order to preserve energy. He looked up and noticed the orange glow of the setting sun. It's bright orange glow casting tall shadows on everything before it. _"It's late afternoon already? Wonder how Ichigo's battle went?"_

As the black teen continued on his merry way, he did not notice a pair of yellow eyes watching him nearby. Walking from a nearby alleyway, it inspected the chaos Dante caused. It sat calmly in the section, somewhat intrigued by the event which occurred. "How interesting," it said in a smooth, male sounding voice.

* * *

By the time he returned to the area, Dante was surprised at what he saw. Standing on a nearby rooftop, he was able to access the damage before him. Buildings were destroyed and the ground was ripped. Rubble and debris was scattered all over. "Who knew two shinigami could do this much shit…" he thought. However, Dante made sure to keep a low profile. Below him, right next to a gravely injured Renji, were four Soul Reapers. Among them was the blonde-haired lieutenant hailing from Squad 3, Izuru Kira. "Better stay on the down-low," Dante thought. "That guy's attacks are nasty…" Leaping behind the building, Dante released Kowa ro Shii Maru and transformed into his Deinonychus form. "Time to snoop." Quickly running down the street and leaping on a building that was right next to the one he was on, Dante used his ability and followed a trail of leftover spirit particles which trailed eastward.

* * *

A couple hours had passed since the end of the battle with Renji. Though victorious in his battle, Ichigo was badly injured at the end of the fight. Broken bones, massive lacerations, and some internal bleeding, the substitute was lucky to have survived. With the help of Hanataro healing techniques (as well as his determination to live), his body was gradually healing. However, being bandaged and weakened, Ichigo was not in any condition to fight. Standing against a nearby wall, Ganju was on lookout. Though they were in the sewers, he knew there was always a chance they would get caught.

And with the sound of approaching footsteps clacking near, his theory may prove true. Quickly, the man hurried over to his comrades and saw the figure responsible. It was a figure wearing a black cloak which concealed his face. Carried at his side was a large, menacing scythe. Ganju, with some sweat on his face, placed his hand on the hilt of his broken sword as Hanataro sat in fear. Ichigo merely glared at the individual sternly. "Ichigo Kurosaki…" it called in a deep voice.

"Who the hell are you and how do you know my name!?" Ichigo said, baring his teeth.

"I am the personification of Death. The master of demise. The emissary of doom. I am, the Grim Reaper."

"I never heard of something like this," Hanataro said. Ichigo, on the other hand, has heard of this being. Of course, the legend of the Grim Reaper is a Western tale and thought it was just some superstitious here-say. Then again, here he is in a world of souls and shinigami. Knowing this, it may be a possibility.

"Your time has come, Ichigo Kurosaki!" the Grim Reaper's voice bellowed. "I am here to claim your soul!" Soon after saying that, Death tapped the blunt end of his scythe to the ground.

Hanataro gave a small yelp while Ganju moved forward. "If you're going to get to him, you'll have to get through me first!"

"Before I do, Ichigo Kurosaki, I have but one question," the figure replied as he pointed a finger to the orange-haired teen.

"Oh yeah? What's that?" Ichigo asked in a serious tone.

Putting his hand in his cloak, the teen pulled out a small bag of cookies. Seeing this, the three couldn't help but give their visitor odd looks. "Would you like a cookie?" it asked in a drastically different, yet familiar voice. Pulling down the hood, the imposter revealed himself to be none other than Dante. Seeing satisfaction in his prank, the black teen started laughing loudly. "Man, you all should have seen yo' faces!" he replied as he sealed his weapon.

It was at that moment, Ganju walked up to Dante and pounded the top of his head. "What the hell's your problem pulling shit like that!?" he shouted.

"Damn it, what did I do?" Dante shouted. "It was a joke?"

"You call that a joke? I'm over here with wounds that could be fatal!" Ichigo shouted. "Do you do stuff like that in old folks homes, too?"

"What!?" Dante gasped, seemingly offended by the accusation. "Ichigo. I can't believe you think I'm that heartless. That hurts, man… I do it in asylums and cemetaries. I have my morals, you know." Hearing this, Ganju once more pounded the top of his head. "Ow!" Dante shouted before rubbing his cranium. "Why you hitting me?"

"Because you're nuts!" the tall man answered.

"Hmm… Okay, that might be. But still…"

"So, Dante," Hanataro said in an attempt to change the subject. "Why did you run off like that?"

"Remember? I told you there were some shinigami sneaking around when Ichigo and Renji were going at it."

"Oh yeah, that's right." Ganju said with folded arms. "So what happened?"

"Well, it was a trap made by the Second Division. Thought they had numbers on their side. But you know your boy here can never be subtract, if you know what I mean."

"What's Squad 2?" Ichigo said.

"They're a moderate branch that are in charge of flanking maneuvers. They're also in charge of the Special Forces, the forces in charge of stealth tactics."

"That's not all," Dante said. "I also met up and fought with the lieutenant of that squad, too."

"Yeah, right," Ganju said, not believing anything he was saying. "There's no way you did that."

"You wish I was frontin'," Dante said defensively. "Does the name Marechiyo Omaeda ring a bell?"

"Seriously?" Hanataro asked in disbelief. "He's one of the biggest of the second seats."

"You can say that again."

"So how did you find us, Dante?" Ichigo asked. "It's been a while since you left. And by now, the area is filled with Death Gods."

Dante smiled. "The nose know, bro," he said as he tapped his nose. "When I'm in my raptor form, I can track any scent. Plus, I can also track left behind spirit particles. Which is weird 'cause I couldn't do it before. Guess the author's been playin' to much Zelda." Hearing Dante say this, Ichigo gave a cock-eyed glance to the black teen. This isn't the first time he said something strange like that. "Um… Disregard that last sentence. Anyway, here." Dante tossed his bag of cookies to Ichigo, who caught it with one hand by the top.

"Where did you get these anyway?"

"From Omaeda. Eat up, Ich. That shit gets your strength back."

Ichigo was skeptical, but took a bite just because he was hungry. Finished with his cookie, the teen could feel his body slowly healing. "You're right. I'm starting to feel better already."

"No wonder Marechiyo likes to eat them," Hanataro said as he saw the minor cuts that were on Ichigo starting to close.

"Well, I'm done for today," Dante said as he stretched his body. "I'm gettin' some shuteye."

"See you in the morning." Walking to the corner of the path, Dante laid down and closed his eyes. He knew tomorrow, he was going to have a busy day.

* * *

Author's Note 1: In the next chapter of The Rise of Madness, the gang meet up with the bloodthirsty Captain of Squad 11: Kenpachi Zaraki. Will Dante be able to survive his encounter with the one man who loves fighting and has a questionable psyche that matches his own? Stick around.

Author's Note 2: As I write this story, I have the urge to do something rather controversial. Watching the Boondocks, the idea has come to me that I should use a certain 'n' word. Of course, I'll change its pronunciation and use the form made famous (or infamous) by Colonel H. Stinkmeaner… "Nyu-kuh!!!" What do you think? And please, don't flame.


	6. Omake 1

Author's Note 1: Hey everyone, it's your boy. Anyway, I know there are a few of you who may be wondering a bit about Dante's backstory. For those who aren't, I don't blame you. Anyway, this is a small filler that takes place a few hours after Dante fell asleep. Which, if you want to be technical, is between episodes 34 and 35. Anyway, if you want to read, then read. Also, make sure to give plenty of reviews. I'm out.

* * *

Omake 1

_"It appears you are starting to awaken to new abilities, Dante…"_ a voice called.

"What…?" Dante replied. Opening his eyes, the black teen found himself in a strange new place. He picked himself up and scanned his environment. The sky was covered in dark, thick clouds, hovering over tall mountains miles away. Large trees which looked like palms dotted the landscape while the ground beneath them was covered in low growing plants. "Where am I?" Dante inquired. "I thought I was in a sewer."

Suddenly, a loud roar followed by an ear-splitting screech echoed through the jungle. Dante turned in different directions, trying to find the source of the noise. A few seconds later, another roar rang out. The maverick placed his hand on his sides to draw his swords, but they were not there. "Great. Tossed in a jungle, without weapons. Feels like a botched reality television show." He sighed over his predicament. "Whatever. Better go see what's up." Dante ran off, his arms trailing behind. He sped through the underbrush and leapt off fallen trees, hearing the rumbling of the clouds from above him. After a few minutes, Dante arrived in a wide clearing covered in low vegetation. "'Ight, come on out!" Dante called. "Show yourself!"

Not long after he hollered his request, the plants around the edges began to stir. Dante watched carefully as the bushes shook, staying on high alert. However, as suddenly as the disturbance started, it stopped. Everything was quiet, save for the skies. Suddenly, a large screech from behind followed by the emergence of a large creature erupted from the jungle. Dante jumped to the left just in time as the beast landed where he stood. As soon as the teen returned to his feet, he was shocked at what he saw. Armed with sharp claws, jaws filled with curved teeth, and feathers, Dante was staring at one of his forms: a Deinonychus. However, this one was larger with tall feathers running from the back of its head to neck, a tail fan, and lengthy feathers on its arms. Turning its head, the dromaeosaur's red eyes inspected his body thoroughly. "So we finally meet face to face, Dante," it said.

Dante was taken back. A talking dinosaur that wasn't a gay Barney was certainly unexpected. "Hold up. You can talk?"

"Much better than you can most of the time," the raptor replied. "Though I am intrigued that a human such as yourself has been able to use my abilities competently."

"Okay, this is a weird ass dream… Is this the one where I have an arm wrestling match with Bill Murray or the one that involves Lucy Liu, a jar of honey, and a tuning fork?"

The raptor sighed. "I am not surprised… Look, you are unconscious. However you are not actually dreaming. You are in my realm which resides within the sword."

"Hold on. You mean like the spirits inside zanpakuto?" Dante replied. "So that means you're the spirit Kowa ro Shii Maru."

"It is official, you can pick things up," the dinosaur quipped. "Here I thought I needed to help you with that."

"Why you gotta get on a brotha like that? But if you think about it, we're really the same person."

"Please don't remind me."

"I just thought you were a sword those genetic nerd freaks messed with before they threw it on me. You sure it's not because we're here and you just happened to form a personality?"

"I admit, my power was limited thanks to my weakened state. Of course, you still had access to some of my fundamental abilities."

"You mean my shape shifting into a raptor."

"Exactly. But now that I have returned to the dimension of my origin, the Reiatsu here is rejuvenating me. Abilities that were once sealed are starting to be released. Our full potential is finally being realized."

"By that, you mean my weapons changing shape along with my clothes." Kowa ro Shii Maru gave a nod before turning his head to preen his back. "Hold up. I thought it was because they injected me with dino DNA."

"I can't believe you thought that, Dante," the spirit said. "They might have said such things, but such a technique is mere science fiction."

"Fine. Then why'd they mess me up and stuck you with me?"

Preening the feathers on his arm, the raptor looked up at the darkened sky. "Fine, I shall tell you what I know." Ready to tell his story, the dromaeosaur sat down as Dante also took a seat. "Many years ago, I was an artificially created soul from the Research and Development lab here in Soul Society. The goal of the project was simple: create a zanpakuto capable of acting more efficiently than a natural one. A weapon capable of melding with the any soul. I was one of the few successes as a result. However, the project was soon terminated and we were abandoned in the world of the living. Or shall I say this universe's world of the living."

"By 'we', you're talkin' 'bout you and Akumu hi Ryuujin?"

"Indeed. The two of us were thrown there in the hopes of being forgotten through the ages. However, a couple of centuries passed before a shinigami arrived and returned me to Soul Society. His purpose was simple: use us to create a living warrior able to help further his ambitions. Whatever they may be. That was when he found a group of genetic engineers from a different world and struck a bargain: Find him a test subject to use and he'll provide the funds and excess payments."

"And that's where I came in," Dante said. "That's why I was kidnapped, taken to a lab, experimented on, and end up with more issues than Jack Thompson at an E3 convention. Or somebody with dyslexia at a spelling bee."

"Right…" Kowa said in an unsure tone.

"But I taught those punk-ass nerds what happens when they do shit to me," the black teen replied as he held his right hand up, a murderous scowl painted on his face. "Still, how and why did that Soul Reaper experiment on me? Couldn't he fuck up someone from here?"

"Apparently, if that happened, the Soul Society would have been alerted instantly. So instead, he created a space-time device to your world knowing the level of interference barely exists."

"But I ain't a Soul Reaper!" Dante hissed. "And as far as I can tell, I'm no dead man! So how am I able to use a zanpakuto in the first place?"

"Well the Soul Reaper was able to procure a blood sample from a fellow shinigami. With that material, he gave the scientists the means to transfer soul energy into your body." Dante was silent. With clenched fists and gritted teeth, the black teen was enraged. All this time, he thought it was coincidence that he was used as a guinea pig. However, after hearing that what he has been through was actually a scheme, the maverick was disgusted. Seething with rage, he punched at the ground as hard as he could. "God damn it!" he hissed. "All the shit that went down… The reason I can't remember anything… It was all because of some crazy-ass Deadhead!" Turning to his zanpakuto's spirit, he asked, "You know that bastard that did this to me, Kowa?"

"I apologize, Dante," the raptor said with a forlorn tone. "My memories are not what they used to be."

"'Ight, I feel ya," the black teen replied. The two sat silently for about a minute. A tense atmosphere hung in the air. Dante rose up and looked to the sky. "I'm not going back," he finally said, earning a look from Kowa. "Why should I return to the same thing over and over again? The girls are fine and all, I ain't denyin'. But still, beatin' up punk-asses that can't do shit and wandering around not knowing anything. It gets pretty tiring."

"So what will you do, Dante?" Kowa ro Shii Maru asked. "As your blade and comrade, I shall assist you as much as I can."

"A change of plans. Imma find out who did this to me and make 'em pay. Then I'll become the baddest mo' fo' to ever step in the Seireitei."

"Hm. I see that your overall scruples have not been altered. But what about the goings on with Ichigo and his companions? Will you still help them?"

Dante smirked. "You got that right. I said I would help save Rukia. You should know by now my word is bond. And I won't stop."

"Alright then," Kowa said as he stood back up. He placed his three fingered hand on the side of Dante's shoulder. "Time to awaken. Return to your duty as a warrior. And as you say, 'I have your back.'"

"You're my boy, K-money," Dante said with a nod before his vision whited out.


	7. Chapter 6

Ch. 6

"Ahhhhh!"

A loud yell rung out, echoing through the aqueducts. Immediately, Dante woke abruptly from his slumber, his heart beating rapidly. "The hell!?" Dante replied. Getting up from his spot, the swordsman walked down the path where he was reunited with Ichigo and Ganju. "What's going, man?" the black teen asked. "We've been snuffed out?"

"It's okay," Ichigo said nonchalantly. "Ganju was just overreacting from what happened with his pants."

"Huh?" Dante asked before turning to the large man. On his right leg was a large wet spot. Seeing this, Dante started to snicker, but held it in. "Wow man…" he said. "Did you slip in or did you have a real good sleep?"

Ganju, picking up on his comrade's accusation, quickly reacted. "Hey this ain't what it looks like!" the man said defensively. "Hanataro was sleeping on me and he drooled on my pants."

"Yeah, I bet," Dante said as he shook his head. "Anyway, you guys look well. Must be the cookies, eh?"

"While your snack did help, I think it's Hanataro who deserves most of the credit," Ichigo said. "Early this morning, he was hard at work tending to you guy's wounds, too."

"Is that so?" Ganju asked as he turned back to the sleeping Death God. A thankful smile grew on his face. "Who knew the little guy's been working so hard without us knowing."

"That would explain why I don't have that crook in my neck right now," Dante said as he rotated his neck and yawned. "I knew it was a good idea to make him my number 1."

"So Ichigo, are you sure you want to keep doing this?" Ganju asked with a serious expression. Ichigo turned his attention to his comrade. "It's gonna be harder from here on out. Our enemies are probably getting irritated." Ichigo turned away, his face expressing deep thought. "Tell us that you're really serious about this. That your heart's in this for the long haul."

As Ganju inquired the substitute's motivation, Ichigo replayed memories of his last minutes with Rukia. His supposed end and his friend's escort to her execution. Remembering this was only increasing his drive to succeed. "She's waiting," he said. "And I'm not here to take a tour through the sewers." Hearing this, Ganju and Ichigo smiled.

"That's what I'm talkin' about, man!" Dante said. "And besides, it's not like you can hit up your crew and turn back now."

"Exactly," Ichigo said. "It's all or nothing." Dante gave a nod to his remark.

"Argh!" Hanataro shouted in a half-sleeping state. Dante, Ichigo, and Ganju turned to their friend as he started to flail about scream. "Please stop it! You do not have the right to do something like that! I am not that kind of squad member!" Realizing what occurred, the 7th Seat turned to his team, embarrassed by the event which took place. "Oh… Good morning," he replied as he bowed.

"What in the fuck was that?" Dante asked with a cock-eyed glare.

"That? Um… It was just a dream… Nothing to worry about…"

"Sounded like a crazy-ass nightmare. What was it about?"

"Oh… You don't really need to know…"

Hearing this, the trio were rather skeptical. "Right…" Ganju said. "So should we get going?"

"It would be a good idea, but…" Ichigo turned his attention to Hanataro, who had dozed off while sitting on his knees. "I think we should wait until we are all well rested."

"No kidding," Dante said as he knelt down, poking the Death God on the side of his head. "Little man's been workin' since twilight. I don't blame him for wanting some extra z's."

"Ahhh! Stop doing that, please!" Hanataro shouted. "I beg of you! Please forgive me!" Once more, Hanataro returned to reality and just as abashed as before. "I must have dosed off again, didn't I?" he asked.

"Man, you be buggin' out like that hobo up on MLK! Take a nap or somethin', man."

"Don't worry. I have something here that can help," Hanataro said. The healer turned around and dug inside his medical bag. He sifted through his supplied until he grabbed what he wanted. Turning around, Hanataro held out his hand to reveal the desired item. "Check it out."

The three ryouka inched forward. All it appeared to be was a small yellow ball with a bold red skull on it. "So what's it supposed to be?" Ichigo asked.

"It's a special nutritional tablet given to all Squad 4 members that revives workers who are tired but still have a lot of work to do. It's required that everyone carries a supply in case of emergency."

"Seriously?"

"So it's your little pick-me-up," Dante said as he picked it up. He held it above his head and inspected the tablet. Needless to say, he wasn't impressed.

"But there's a skull on it, dude," Ganju pointed out. "You sure you didn't get cheated into carrying poison?"

"Here, I'll prove it." Hanataro held his hand out as Dante returned to capsule to his possession. Popping it in his mouth, the healer chewed its contents and swallowed. He sat in his place with a blank expression for about a moment. The three ryouka sat and watched in anticipation to see what effect might occur. "Alright, I'm restored," the healer said as he rose to his feet. "Let's get going."

"Hold on just a second!" the other members shouted with dumbstruck faces.

"Is something wrong you guys?" Hanataro asked in a calm manner.

"Don't ask us that!" Ichigo replied.

"That stuff didn't do anything!" Ganju added.

"What's the deal, homeboy!?" Dante shouted. "Where's the big flash and all that shit?"

"Nonsense, it was a success," Hanataro said in a leisurely tone. "Can't you see that my face is fully revitalized? I'm practically glowing."

"You look the same as you did a few seconds ago," Ichigo said.

"That thing is a croc. You got screwed over," Ganju said.

"I've seen Droopy Dog with more expression than you," Dante quipped.

"Whatever," Ichigo said as he gave a sigh. "If you're ready, then we should use the exit closest to the tower."

Ganju nodded in agreement. The group continued on their path, travelling through the subterranean waterways. The team were mostly silent on the trek, except for Dante. The black teen was too busy singing along to the rap songs on his I-Pod. After a few minutes, the group arrived at their last position near the stairway. The area was completely devastated from the battle which took place. Rubble littered the ground along with some craters. "Good. There's no one here."

With the coast clear, the four left their hiding spot. "Hey, what gives?" Ichigo asked with a rather skeptical tone. "You'd think that there would be some guards here."

"They probably didn't think we'd return to the same place after what happened."

"Or they're like the po-po in my world and are too busy takin' a donut break or are 'in fear for their life,'" Dante said with quoted fingers.

"Oh wow, I'm so full of energy now," Hanataro said in a flat tone as he tried to flex his arms.

"No offense, but I'm still not buying that," Ichigo said.

"Hey, I wonder how the others are doing?" Ganju wondered. "The guy with the white cape and the cutiepie with the big eyes."

"_Right… The big 'eyes',"_ Dante thought as he thought about Orihime and her rather gifted physique. He couldn't help but chuckle. _"Yeah, those was the features that got me…"_

"Cutiepie, eh?" Ichigo asked. "That's not exactly a trendy word these days…"

"Some things that were trendy like 'trendy' may not be considered trendy either, wouldn't you think?" Hanataro inquired. Taking some offense from this, Ichigo twisted his fists on the side of the healers head. The Squad 4 officer screamed in pain from his punishment as a sweatdrop formed on Ganju's head. Dante, on the other hand, was snickering at Hanataro's punishment. "I'm sorry!" he replied.

"I met up wit' those two yesterday," Dante said.

"Really?" Ganju asked.

"Yep. We took on some chump that thought he was more fly than the Red Baron. Let's just say we proved his ass wrong after we clipped his wings. They're cool."

"I would think so," Ichigo said. "Compared to me, they're on the sharper end of the spectrum."

"If that's the case, then you're on the dumber end," Ganju replied.

"Hah hah! Big Ich is a big dumby!" Dante added before he laughed. Just as he did with the healer, Ichigo punished Dante by twisting his fists against the smaller teen's head. "Ow, man! You walked into it!" Dante replied as Ichigo applied more pain. "Ow! Damn it, I take it back! I take it back!"

Ganju and Hanataro only watched with a sweatdrop on the sides of their heads. "Glad that isn't me," Hanataro replied.

"My point is that they won't take on anyone stronger than themselves," Ichigo explained while Dante held his head, still feeling a slight sting on each side. "And judging by what Dante told us, they're more than capable of fending for themselves."

"Glad I could help…" Dante replied.

"But what about that Chad guy?" Ganju asked.

"Even less to worry about," Ichigo said.

"And why's that?"

"Because…" Ichigo started as he walked a couple of steps forward. "I've been feeling his spirit energy from the moment we fell from the sky and ended up here. Besides, I doubt he would loose. Chad's just too strong and too determined to fall so easily." Finishing his explanation, Ichigo continued forth toward the stairway. Dante, Ganju, and Hanataro glanced at one another before following their comrade. By the time they reached the flight of steps, the team stood before it. Staring in awe, they knew that their mission was close to fruition. Dante placed a hand on each zanpakuto as a sly smirk grew on his face. "I didn't think we would get here, but we finally made it. The Repentance Tower is just up there."

"Heh heh. About time," Dante said. "I haven't been this excited since that time me and Leonard Nimoy hit this club up in the Red Light District. Let's say we were beamin' them bitches to our mothership and lived it up long and prosper all night, knawmean!?"

"Who is Leonard Nimoy?" Hanataro asked, earning a raised eyebrow from Dante.

With no time to waste, the team raced up the steps. Their determination to save Rukia gave them the motivation they needed to press on. Dante, whose I-Pod was set to "Black President" by Young Jeezy and Nas, was driven by something else. He knew that the answers he was looking for (as well as the biggest obstacle in his life) were waiting for him at the top.

Ten minutes passed and the team were still running up the steps. This hike was starting to gnaw on their nerves. "Man, how many steps are there?" Ganju asked.

"I counted about 527," Dante answered. "Give or take six." Ichigo only glanced back at the black teen. "What? It keeps me busy. Left foot, right foot. Left foot, right foot."

"Why don't you just transform?" Ichigo asked. "You could get there in half the time."

"Well…" Dante began with a raised finger. However, he had nothing to say. He tried again, but with little success for an excuse. "Yeah, I got nothin'."

"I don't see what the big deal about a couple more steps," Hanataro said as he sped up the stairway. The other members were rather surprised by the healer's surprising vitality. "See, didn't I tell you that pill worked?"

"Alright we get it already!" the three shouted. In a few minutes, the group arrived at the top. Before them was a route towered by many arches and other tall structures.

"And I thought security guards slept on the job," Dante said.

"Good," Ichigo said. "That means we can get to the inner area."

Following Ichigo, the group ran to their destination. Unfortunately, they didn't get far before a powerful force effected the area. The group were paralyzed as it felt like the gravity in the immediate area had suddenly increased. "What the hell…! Is this some kind of enormous spiritual pressure!?" Ganju shouted. It didn't take long before the immense power started forcing them down on their hands and knees.

"Shit!" Dante shouted. "This power… It's over 9000!"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Ganju asked.

"It means we need to get the fuck outta here!"

"He's right," Ichigo replied. "The last thing we need is to meet the person responsible. Let's hurry to the tower before the enemy catches us!"

"Alright!" Hanataro said before the group followed Ichigo. The team hurried as fast as they could. However, with the enemy's spiritual pressure weighing them down, their speed was cut drastically.

Dante was feeling the effects. How the pressure made him feel like he was getting crushed. The only thing he can do was raise his spirit energy (or soul power as he refers to it), only by a little. "This is whack…" he said as he increased his soul power. The good news was that some of the pressure had been eased off. The bad news was that he was still feeling the exertion and knew he couldn't keep it up for long.

Suddenly, Hanataro crashed to the ground. Too tired to move thanks to the increased gravity around them. "What the hell is wrong with you!?" Ganju shouted.

"I can't keep running…" he said. "I don't have the strength."

Quickly, Ganju hurried over and picked his comrade off from the ground and onto his shoulder. "God, your such a pain in the ass, you know that?"

"Hey! You two okay?" Ichigo asked.

"Don't worry about us! Just keep going you two!"

"He's right!" Dante replied. "Time to fade!" The continued to move forward, making sure to not slow down. The last thing they needed was to be caught by their pursuer. As they were ran, Dante felt a something strange. Almost as if someone were right next to him. At this time, Ichigo was also sensing the same thing. Both swordsmen froze and glanced up at a nearby building's roof. There sat a massive figure roosting on its top who expelled more spiritual pressure. It stared the two ryouka down like a lion focused on its prey. Dante knew exactly who this person was and didn't know whether to be excited or (perhaps the first time in his life) 'scared out of his black ass' as he would say so eloquently. Sweat drenched his face as he knew this man's power dwarfed his own. Not by just a little, but by an entire level.

However, he was not prepared for what came next. From behind him, Dante heard a rough voice ask him, "Why are you looking over there?" Before he could react, a long blade exited through his stomach. Dante's own blood spilled from the wound. He could feel the sharp, searing pain followed by the sudden chill of death's approach.

However, everything he felt was for a brief minute. Dante looked down again and saw no blood and no blade. It was as if the event was an illusion._ "I was just wiggin' out?"_ he thought nervously. _"It's all just some freaky ass trip… Or one of those premonitions… No, no, no! That means it would happen! Maybe I'm in over my head. It's Ichigo he's after. This ain't got nothing to do with me."_

Taking his well-versed advice to heart, Dante tried his best to sneak out of the area. Seeing that the man was preoccupied with Ichigo, Dante believed he had the opportunity. Sadly, he only made ten steps before hearing someone behind him call, "Where do you think you're going?" Dante froze in place before slowly tilting his head to the individual. He was a powerfully built man with a wide cheshire grin and an eye which peered right through the black teen (his right eye was covered in a patch). The left side of his face had a large scar. His hair was styled in long spikes adorned with small bells sitting on each one. With a white armless haori with a black one under it, he was none other than the captain of the famous (or infamous) 11th Squadron: Kenpachi Zaraki. "What's wrong? Are you scared?"

"Me? Scared?" Dante asked before chuckling nervously. He scratched the back of his forehead. "No, no! I'm just, uh… excited. I mean, actually meeting THE Kenpachi Zaraki face-to-face? It's just too much!"

"Heh. So you've heard of me."

"Heard of you!? You're like the Chuck Norris and the Kane of death gods, yo! And that whole entrance with the gravity and mind tricks. That is how it's done! That's how you do yo' business! Darth Sidious don't got shit on you!"

Kenpachi gave a light chuckle. "I see you're a fan of my work. So tell me. Who are you?"

"Me? I'm Dante Blaine. The only mo' fo' in the world who caught the Gingerbread Man, rode a herd of camel through San Diego with Mr. T, and beat Mike Knox in a game of Scrabble to win enough cheddar to buy me a motherfuckin' Proganochelys from Nigel Marven. 'Cause you know the ladies love a man with a 210 million year old turtle before they take the black anaconda and let it roam their Amazon Basin, you feel me?"

"What the...? God that's sounds so stupid," Ichigo commented. "You're making Kon sound sensitive. Where do you get this stuff?"

"Discovery Channel, foo'!" Dante defended. "Entertain yo' brain!"

"Dante Blaine, huh?" Inspecting the teen, he saw his released blade as well as his sealed weapon still in its scabbard. "Two zanpakuto. Interesting. At first, I thought I would meet one opponent. But now, it seems that I'll be facing two. In a fight to the death!"

"The death?" Dante replied with fear written on his face. "No. You don't simply mean me, too. Don't you mean him?" he asked pointing at Ichigo. "It must be his power just rubbing off me."

"What are you doing, Dante?" Ichigo asked.

Dante only gave a small laugh. "Don't take it personal, man."

"Do you think I'm a fool, kid?" Kenpachi replied. "True Ichigo is strong, but I can also tell that you are just as powerful. And I'm here to fight anyone that can last."

"Uh…" Dante was now trying to find an excuse. The last thing he needed was to antagonize a bloodthirsty man.

Kenpachi gave a light chuckle as his reiatsu grew in strength. His eye was filled with murderous intent. "It looks like you two aren't fighting," he said. "I guess this means I'll make the first move." Dante quickly drew his katanas out, ready for battle.

Ichigo was also about to pull out his sword, but stopped as he saw Hanataro and Ganju on the ground. The spiritual pressure was crushing the two due to their weaker reiatsu. "Ganju! Hanataro!" he called. Hanataro was unable to respond. Thanks to Zaraki, the Squad 4 healer was unconscious.

"Looks like the kid got K.O.'d from all the soul power."

"You idiots! Forget about us!" Ganju replied.

"But what about…?" Ichigo began.

"Don't worry about us. Stay focused on the enemy! It you don't he'll finish you without even trying."

"Wow, look at that drool!" a high-pitched voice called. Ichigo and Dante turned and saw a small girl with pink shoulder length hair and a black haori perched on Kenpachi's shoulder. Jumping off the captain, she hopped on top of Ichigo's shoulder. Upon impact, the substitute felt the young child's spirit energy. "I think you scared the poor guy pretty bad, Kenni." Quickly, Ichigo shrugged the girl off his body, who quickly evaded and landed right in front of Kenpachi. "I think I made him pretty angry."

"What do you expect?" Zaraki inquired. "That was pretty stupid."

"Well stupid is as stupid does."

"Your words, not mine."

"Hey, twerp with the pink hair," Ichigo called. "Who are you? Or what are you?"

"Wait, I think I've heard of you before," Dante said before scratching the side of his head with his sword. "What was it… Yichi… Satchi… Kasu… Gushi…"

"You mean me?" the girl asked as she pointed to herself. "My name Yachiru Kusajishi. I'm the lieutenant of the 11th Squad. I can't believe you've also heard of me too."

"Oh, that's the name!" Dante said. "Nice to meet you. Hey, you wouldn't happen to have a piece of candy on you right now do you?"

"Dante, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Ichigo hissed, glaring at his comrade with narrow eyes.

"What!?" the black teen asked defensively. "I'm just asking."

Ichigo gave a low growl. "Ganju! Take Hanataro and get out of here! Dante, you get out of here as well."

"But Ichigo you need he-!"

"Ganju!" Ichigo shouted in order to stop the argument. "Please." Reluctantly following orders, the bandana wearing man scooped

"Well, would you look at that," Dante said as he slowly tried backing away. "I don't think I can play today. I'm really busy. You know, guarding my homies from random Death Gods. Then after that, there's this 'Murder She Wrote' marathon that I just gotta watch. Plus there's that big pimp convention happening in L.A. and I haven't decided on which hat to wear. Looks like my schedule's really packed. Maybe I can fit you in on September 29th at around… say 4:30 maybe 6:00? But how about I your autograph instead?"

"Not so fast!" Dante's answer was only met by a release of Kenpachi's spirit pressure forcing down upon him and Ichigo.

"I'll take that as a no."

"Gee, you think so?" Ichigo asked sarcastically.

"You two don't get it," Kenpachi explained. "I've been waiting here for a while in hopes of a good battle. I could care less about your friends or your mission to free Rukia. But I will not allow a strong opponent to slip through my fingers."

"Oh yeah?" Ichigo said as he unleashed his sword from its protective cloth and took an offensive pose with his blade held in front.

"_So much for running,"_ Dante thought. _"Then again, running was never my style. Might as well go along and have fun with it. 'Sides, if I go, might as well be with a bang."_ "Let's bust a move 'cause I'm finna be da captain of the 14th Squad!" Dante yelled. "Slash with the rage of the past! Kowa ro Shii Maru!" With his sword released, Dante also stood defensively with his large sword held in front and his sealed blade held behind his head.

Kenpachi stood with a smile as their spirit energy rose. He turned to Ichigo and inspected his pose. "Your stance is rigid and you have gaps in defense. As for you," he said as he turned to Dante and studied his form. "Your stance is too low and you're open on your right side. Still, your spiritual pressure is pretty impressive. No wonder you managed to defeat a few of the lieutenants. Still even with your combined strength, your power doesn't add up to mine."

"Too bad math was never my subject, G," Dante said. "The numbers were a real killer."

Kenpachi's smile widened as an idea came into his head. "You know what I'll do? I'll let you two have the first strike." Ichigo was taken aback by this. He thought this man was joking. No sane opponent would allow his enemy to attack him unarmed. At least, that was before Zaraki opened his uniform, revealing his bare chest and bandaged midsection. "Cut me wherever you want."

"Wow Kenni!" Yachiru replied. "You're such a giving person!"

"You think so? I guess I'm just a bleeding heart of generosity," Zaraki said in a humble yet cynical tone.

"Oh yeah! This feels like my last Thanksgiving or Christmas!" Dante said with a sick smile. Now his bloodlust was starting to reawaken. "I wonder if I'll get a brand new car or a puppy?"

"You can't be serious!" Ichigo replied. Dante turned his head to the substitute shinigami. "He doesn't even have a weapon drawn. The guy's just toying with us and you're falling for it!"

"Ich, is you out yo' damn mind!?" Dante replied. "He's the captain of the Seireitei's version of the Navy who wants to make us take a dirt nap. Right now, I see an opportunity and Imma take it. 'Cause death does not become me!"

"Your friend's got a point," Zaraki said. "What I'm doing is giving you a free shot. The fact that you don't want to attack an unarmed man is admirable. But this isn't the time for such noble actions. In battle the rules are simple: kill or be killed. I think it's a good way to spend the time."

Dante gave a light chuckle as he secured his footing. "Now you're talking my language, homeboy!" Dante charged at his target. His body driven by the thrill of the kill. Ichigo, tried to stop him, but had no choice but to strike alongside.

As soon as they were in range, the two's large swords collided with the captain. Direct hits were made. Ichigo to Kenpachi's right side and Dante just above his heart. However, their swords seemingly had as much effect as two twigs hitting against a boulder. Instead, the attackers were the ones who were damaged. The ryoukas' hands were coated in blood (even one of the spikes on Dante's zanbato had broke). "You're kidding me!?" Dante thought. "Even this sword can't bust him up!?" In a futile effort, the young maverick viciously struck the enemy with his sealed sword. He landed many thrusts on the foe's body. But with every attack, his hand was bleeding profusely. Ichigo stood dumbfounded while Kenpachi gazed at the two with an unimpressed eye.

"Wow, looks like he's really going at it, Kenni," Yachiru said.

"How pathetic," Kenpachi said. He pulled Ichigo's sword off his body and grabbed a hold of Dante's still moving blade. Ichigo leapt back as Dante tried his best to pry his held sword free, hoping not to break it in the process. Kenpachi scoffed as he tossed the black teen forward in the air. Dante quickly recovered and landed on his feet.

"Shit!" Dante hissed. "It's like two butter knives trying to cut a tank!"

"But how is he still standing after all of that and not get damaged at all!?" Ichigo replied.

"It's useless, you two," Yachiru said standing before them. "Your swords can't cut through him. It's like they have no edge at all to him."

Ichigo was shocked by this. His sword was an inferior tool against this man. This monster of a man. "Do you want me to tell you why?" Kenpachi asked in a nonchalant tone. "It's simple really. When two spiritual pressures come together, the weaker one gets damaged. In other words, the spiritual energy I leak is higher than either of your spiritual pressures when you hold your swords and kill the enemy.

"Dammit!" Ichigo yelled.

"What a waste. When I look back on how long I've been waiting for you weaklings to arrive, it's an unfunny joke. Now it's my turn." Zaraki raised his blade high above its head. The weapon had a bandaged hilt and weathered blade. "Ichigo, Dante. I hope you live long enough for me to at least clean the rust off this thing."

With Dante listening to "The End of a Thought" from Tales of Symphonia, Ichigo rushed forward with his blade held ahead. Zaraki only stood, his guard rather relaxed as his opponent charged him. Dante only stood his ground, charging his zanbato for a new attack. Its rectangular blade gradually glowing. Once their swords locked, Ichigo tried his best to shove the foe back. Unfortunately, Kenpachi did not budge an inch. The captain shoved the substitute back, before turning his attention to Dante. "Here's da Lagi remix!" he shouted. "Imma firin' mah lazers!" With a strong stroke, Dante launched five streaming lasers at his adversary. Kenpachi only smirked as the arrows of light collided with his being. Smoke filled the area and Dante and Ichigo stood waiting for the event. "What was that?" Kenpachi replied through the cloud. "It didn't even tickle!"

"Holy crap…" Dante said with a cock-eyed glance. Ichigo was surprised that a strong move like that was still not enough to stop the bloodthirsty monster. "He just unshooped da whoop!" At an instant, Kenpachi charged out of the dust, his blade landing on the black teen. Dante quickly reacted by bringing up his swords. Now he was trying his best not to get crushed or sliced in half. "Oh for the love of god! Give me a hand!" Rushing to his aid, Ichigo struck the foe numerous times. Kenpachi turned his head to the orange-haired teen and slashed. Both teens quickly evaded the swipe before going in. Kenpachi managed to block their attack and hold them at bay with relative ease. Unimpressed by their combined strength, he forced the teens away.

Ichigo gritted his teeth. This opponent was not like anyone he's faced before. Fighting this beast head-to-head was insanity. "We need to fall back!" he said.

"What was that?" Dante asked.

"He's too strong for us! We can't keep fighting like this!"

"But if we jet, we'll get caught!"

"Then what do you think we should do?"

"Yeah. What are you two going to do?" Kenpachi asked, earning a glare from the two ryouka. The two were intimidated by his towering built and reiatsu. Standing before him, Dante was also feeling doubtful as his comrade was. Acknowledging the power differential, Ichigo grudgingly retreated. "I figured that would happen." He then turned to Dante, who tightened his stance. "Are you going to run, too? Or do you wish to die by my blade."

As he said before, Dante never did learn how to properly retreat. However, this man was on a higher tier of power. _"Part of me says I should back out. But the gangsta in me says to go off on this fool."_ Clutching his sword, Dante returned the sealed blade to his scabbard. "I still got a trick up my sleeve," Dante said as he turned his device to "Brain Cleaner" from F-Zero GX. Using his zanpakuto's ability, he transformed in his Deinonychus form. "Oh my brain feels so clean and it ain't 'cause of all the bleach!" he roared. "This goes to all my nyu-guhs up in ODB Boulevard where we do the shimmy shimmy up in the Brooklyn Zoo and bitch slap them Komodo Dragons!" With his claws and teeth bared, Dante was ready for battle.

"This is something new," the captain said. "I bet in this form, your spiritual pressure rose quite a bit." Dante snarled, his sickle foot claws tapping on the ground. "Bring it on! Let's see what you can do!"

"Time for this shit to start poppin'!" Dante screeched as his feathered arms crossed and the tall feathers on his head rose. He charged at Kenpachi and swung his clawed arms once he was in range. The captain managed to block with his blade and push him back. Quickly, the dromaeosaur swiped again with lightning fast movements. However, Kenpachi's reaction time was just as fast and he blocked the hits. Using flash steps just before Kenpachi slashed, Dante backed away and leapt in the air. Dropping to the ground, his foot talons were brandished and ready to rip into the captain like an eagle ready to snatch prey. However, the foe backed away just as the teen landed. He countered with a strong slash. Dante sidestepped the strike, but his arm was cut from the stroke. In retaliation, he lunged forth and snapped at the target with his bear trap maw. "Imma bite you, foo'!" he growled. "Imma eat ya!" Suddenly, Kenpachi disappeared from Dante's sight. The raptor scanned his surroundings. The enemy's scent was still near as was his spiritual pressure.

Suddenly, a faint ring caught Dante's attention. He looked up and saw Kenpachi above him, his zanpakuto ready to skewer him. Dante quickly backflipped before the attack could land. "Impressive, kid," Kenpachi said. "You can hear my bells. Not bad at all."

"_Good thing being a raptor gives me an edge with all five senses,"_ Dante thought. _"Sure I could've heard them in my normal body, but no way as easily."_ With a snarl, Dante rushed his attacker. He then jumped on the wall to the left before leaping to the other side. Once he was near, he pounced and used a corkscrew kick. Twisting his body in midair, he kicked forward with his claw in hopes of cutting open the captain's face. Kenpachi managed to move his head back, just inches before the deadly weapon landed on its mark. "Shit! He dodged!" Again, Dante parried with the enemy, his clawed hands against Kenpachi's sword. Even with his speed, the raptor landed no hits.

Dante jumped back, catching his breath as he and Kenpachi eyed one another. "What's wrong?" Kenpachi asked rather calmly. "You getting tired? Guess you're gonna give up."

The Deinonychus bared its teeth. "You must be clownin'!" he snorted. "I've been waitin' for this kind of shit my whole mothafuckin' life! I ain't done yet!" Dante screeched.

"Guess you're not done, yet." Kenpachi charged at the raptor, his sword held out to the side. Just as he slashed, Dante somersaulted in the air, landing behind the foe and slashed his robe and back. Kenpachi turned swinging his blade to the other side. Dante managed to back away before lunging once more. However, his jaws were stopped as Kenpachi grabbed the teen by his throat. "Dammit! Get the fuck off me!" Dante growled as he continued biting and flailing his claws in the process. With a slash from one of his foot sickles, Dante managed to cut a gash in the captain's chest before releasing from the hold by pounding his wrist. Rubbing his neck, Dante tried getting air through his mouth. "That was too close." Just then, his body reverted back into human form. "What the-!?" he said in shock. "Did I just run out of time?"

"Well, look who's back," Kenpachi said. "What's wrong? Your animal instincts have taken a back seat? Too bad. I was just starting to have some fun."

Dante glared at the captain. "Don't worry. Playtime ain't over yet." The teen charged at the foe, his sword clashing into the enemy's. Shoving each other back, Dante went in low and made an upper slash, delivering another cut to his opponent. _"Yes, I landed another one,"_ the black teen thought as a smile grew on his face.

"Don't get carried away," the captain said. Kenpachi quickly slashed the teen, whose sword blocked the attack. "Just because you managed to deliver hits, doesn't mean you've won just yet." Grabbing Dante's zanpakuto, he pulled the teen in as his own sword drove forward straight at him. Dante quickly leaned to the right, evading the blow. He then pulled his blade from Zaraki's clutch and tried to slash. Once more his sword was blocked. Putting some distance between himself and the foe, Dante again charged his sword. "You think that's gonna work? Have you learned nothing?"

"Oh it will. Time to burn," Dante said as he unleashed his lasers (counting six this time) again. The trails managed to hit their target. Dante focused on his foe, who was still for a moment. The seconds went by until Kenpachi's blood trickled on the ground. The previous slashes, added with the lock-on strike, managed to injure him. _"Did I win?"_

"Nice try," Kenpachi said with a smile on his face. "Still not dead."

"What!?" Dante replied. Before he could say anything, the enemy had already appeared behind him with blinding speed. Dante could only turn before the foe's sword stabbed his chest. Upon impact, the black teen dropped his sword, which reverted into a basic katana. His face in disbelief, the teen looked down once Kenpachi drew back his sword. Though it was a shallow wound, blood still trickled from it. The black maverick was losing consciousness with every drop. "This… is… fucked…" he said weakly.

"Gotta say, Dante, you had me going for a moment," the captain said. "All I can say is that you fought like a warrior. Guess that means you'll die like one, too." Kenpachi turned around and walked off. "I hope your friend does not disappoint me. Maybe he'll give me a good fight as well."

"_This can't end…!"_ Dante thought angrily. _"I can't go out like this…! Not like some punk…!"_ He tried to move, but his body was too weak to respond. _"Gotta get up… I ain't dying… Not today…!"_ The rogue tried his best to hang on and remain conscious. Unfortunately, he hadn't the strength nor blood to do so. His vision soon became blurry just before it all went black.

"Do you not want to die?" a voice called.

"What? Who is this?"

"Do you not want to die?"

"No, I don't!"

"Why do you wish to live?"

"I want payback. I want answers. I want to win"

"You have a determined spirit. Then it is time we finally meet. At last, I shall see the one who uses my power face to face!"

* * *

Author's Note 1: It looks like it's not over for Dante just yet. A mysterious voice calls upon him. Does Dante have the skill and ability to earn his second chance? Read and review to find out.


	8. Chapter 7

Ch. 7

"Oh man…" Dante muttered as he started opening his eyes. At first, his vision was blurred. After rubbing his eyes and standing back on his feet, the teen was astonished by his surroundings. Instead of the towered covered area of Soul Society where he fell, Dante was now on a tall stone column which overlooked a vast gray canyon. Towers of stone dotted the scene and a large fissure scarred the land. A thick sandstorm covered the land like a fog in a swampland. The skies above were dark red with a crescent moon hidden behind the clouds. "What the hell…?" the black teen asked. "This don't look like Soul Society. Hell, it barely looks like Hueco Mundo."

Dante carefully peered over the edge. Upon looking, he started getting dizzy just by the altitude. "Damn! That's a big ass drop!" he said as a sweatdrop formed on his face. He quickly scooted back and landed on the flat ground. He panted rapidly in terror as his head was turned to the sky. "How the hell did I wind up here?" he asked himself as he caught his breath.

"I am the one who brought you here," a voice echoed.

Upon hearing this, Dante jumped to his feet. "Who's there!?" he shouted with some tension in his voice. "Come on out!"

"You must know who I am, wielder," the voice said again. "You are the one who uses my power." Just then, a large shadow passed by Dante from overhead accompanied by a loud flapping sound. The black teen snapped his head up only to see the moon looming over him. "However, you have only scathed the surface of my full potential." Something then caught the corner of his eye. Dante could only catch a glimpse as it dived down the side of the platform. Then, a loud ear-splitting screech echoed through the area followed by a chilling roar.

Dante was now on guard. He reached for his waist, but found himself without a weapon. _"Great. I ain't got my steel,"_ he thought. _"Guess I'll be going hand-to-hand up in here."_ With his fists balled, the black teen was ready to fight whatever was stalking him. What he did not know was that there was a large figure arising from behind. It's large finger-like wings supporting a thin purple membrane pulled its massive body up in the air. Once Dante felt the air hitting the back of his head, he quickly turned and instantly went pale once he saw the gigantic figure. The creature was a giant, grotesque beast with a red, heavily armored body with a whip-like tail ending with in a sharp hooked structure. The head (which was connected by a long neck stitched by teeth like structures) had no eyes or nostrils, but armed with short jaws carrying razor sharp fangs. Hanging below its wings were a pair of long and muscularly built legs with two long toes in the front and two shorter toes in the back (almost like a parrot's but with clawed cups on its instep) and another long toe sprouting from its backward pointing knee. Sitting on its back was a green, glowing core with a device further in front of it which housed a camera turning left and right which viewed in infrared thermography and soul energy. This beast, this monstrosity, was a creature bio-engineered from war and conquest: a Dragonmare. Dante's mouth hung wide open as the beast landed with a loud thud. It held its head up high and roared a nightmarish roar to the moon. "Oh… my… god…" he said with disbelief. "I think I just shitted myself…"

"Welcome to my world, wielder," the control nodule said as its lens focused on the black teen. The Dragonmare's head inched forward, the stench of its breath perforating from its mouth. "I am the spirit which resides in this zanpakuto."

"Wait… You're Akumu hi Ryuujin?" Dante replied. "You're the spirit!? But you're one of those ugly mothas from that game!"

"Really?" the Dragonmare replied. "Perhaps my creation and your entertainment software was mere coincidence."

"I'm really starting to doubt coincidences…" Dante muttered to himself. "Alright, what gives, Akumu? Shouldn't I be dead or something?"

"Indeed, Dante. At present, you are deceased. Killed in battle against a strong opponent. However, since you were able to hear me for the first time, I decided to be lenient and intercede. You have shown a flame that a true warrior possesses. One that is fueled by desire in the heat of battle. I shall give you one more chance to live."

"Okay…" Dante said, not sure exactly what is going on. "What's the catch?"

"I see you understand that there is always a bargain in the road of life. Very well. My only requirement is that you show me your ability. I want to test your skill and your drive. If not, then you have no choice but to continue your deathly road."

"So you saved my ass from the brink just to see if _you_ can kick it over the edge." Dante rested his hands on his hips and shook his head. A sigh escaped his lips. "If I can face Spike back when I was alive, then why not you. But unless you have me throwing rocks, I don't think this is gonna work out."

"A practical problem met with an equally practical solution." The green core started to glow with a bright light. Forming from the sphere was a rather ordinary scythe with a long pole and a very slender blade. The weapon was hurled forth to Dante's direction. The black teen moved back a step just as the blade stabbed the ground. "This is your weapon."

Dante examined the tool after he plucked it from the ground. A look of distaste and confusion decorated his face. "What the hell is this? I thought I was wreaking havoc. Not cutting the crops on Ol' McDonald's barn."

"The weapon you hold is my basic form. As skillful as you might be, you have not truly mastered my power. As the old saying goes, 'you must crawl before you can walk.'"

"Grr…" Dante scowled as he looked at his weak weapon and back at the dragon's maul. He knew that there was no way this old thing could scratch its hide of a genetic terror such as this. "Fine. Let's get this shit started, Akumu!" Holding the scythe's blade behind his head, the black teen was ready to fight.

"Yes," the Dragonmare said with much anticipation. "Show me that you are worthy for another chance at life. Prove your mettle, wielder."

"Ahhhhhh!" Dante yelled at the top of his lungs as he ran toward the creature as "My Word Be Done" by Unearth played in the background. Akumu's head lunged at the fighter, its jaws ready to snap Dante in half. Quickly, the teen sidestepped the monster and slashed its neck. As expected, it had no effect against its tough skin. Reacting upon the scythe wielder's attacks, the Dragonmare pulled its neck to the side and swept it across the ground. Before it hit, Dante leapt on top and continued slashing. _"I'm only pissing it off!"_ Dante thought. _"How do I stop it?"_

Suddenly, the dragon threw its head back, tossing the black teen into the air. Below, the Dragonmare's jaws opened wide as the teen fell. Seeing this, Dante quickly recovered and spun clockwise, his scythe held out. The black teen managed to steer away from the path to its jaws and cut the side of the mouth in the process. The Dragonmare screeched as a small amount of blood leaked from its maw.

Flapping its massive wings, Akumu took to the air and hovered above Dante. It then slammed its body on to the surface. Luckily, the black teen managed to the roll out of the dragon's way before it landed. With the bioluminary oscillator glowing a bright green in its throat as it aimed, the giant creature launched six balls of green laser. Dante sidestepped four of the attacks, but was pelted by the other two. He was now lying on the ground. "Do not tell that was all you had, wielder? Do you wish to live?" Dante balled his hands before he pulled his arms back, clenching some gravel in the process. Once he picked himself up, the black teen return to his fighting stance. Scanning his opponent, he knew his attacks were futile against the enemy. The weapon in his hand was nothing more than a simple gardening tool than the arm he was accustomed to. "What is wrong? Do you concede due to doubt? Do you believe that your scythe is inferior?" Dante turned to Akumu, his face scowling to hide the shock. "A true warrior uses his strength and intellect in order to triumph over a foe. No matter what the weapon they have on hand. I would assume after everything you have faced, you would know this."

Dante knew the dragon was right. Through his adventures, the black teen has faced numerous opponents and survived through unorthodox methods. Such as the time he fought five men with a pair of chopsticks at a Vietnamese restaurant. However, they weren't dragons with a hard exoskeleton capable of instant regeneration or lock-on lasers. Still, he knew that there was a weakness. _"Alright. Now where is it you're ticklish…"_ he thought as his eyes examined the enemy. It didn't take long for Dante to notice the glowing green core on Akumu's back. _"Found the kink!"_ he thought with a smirk. _"If I could hit the core, I'd be able to drop this foo' no prob."_

Akumu's camera zoomed in on Dante, noticing the rapscallion's smile on his face. The dragon responded by moving its legs to the side and snaking its neck as its tail wagged in all directions (like a dog ready to play fetch). "You have a strategy in mind, do you not?" Akumu asked as its jaws slowly opened. "Good. Then let us continue." With a loud screech, the Dragonmare quickly charged at Dante, moving across with its thick muscled legs. Dante quickly rolled to the left before the strike could connect. He then ran to the neck and hooked it with his scythe. The monster screeched as it threw its head up. As it did, Dante was swung up in the air and landed on top. The dragon bucked wildly, flapping its wings which kicked dust in the air. Dante held on tightly to the creature's scales, climbing up its back. Once it arrived at the control core, the black teen slashed with his blade.

Upon contact, the Dragonmare roared just before it finally tossed Dante off its body. Dante watched as the dragon shook its body, putting distance between him and itself. "Nicely played, wielder," Akumu replied as it regained control. "However, it shall take more than that to defeat me." With its throat glowing bright green, the Dragonmare was once again preparing to fire its laser. Dante hurried to the beast, knowing it would be wise to go in close. The dragon's lens was taking aim of the approaching teen, its sights locked on the black teen. "Feel my power!" it screeched as it launched a volley of laser fire. Dante zigzagged as fast as he could, his scythe spinning in front of him. He quickly slid under Akumu's body, knowing the lasers would not reach him from his cover. Running to the other side, Dante was about to jump on its back, his scythe raised for the strike. Akumu countered his attempt with a swing of its lengthy tail. Dante barely had time to react by blocking with his scythe. He was thrown to the side, sliding on his back from the force of the hit.

The Dragonmare's head turned to Dante roaring in his direction with wings raised. "Shit!" he said through his teeth as the sharp end of Akumu's tail raced toward him. The teen blocked the consecutive jabs by shielding himself with the weapon's pole. Suddenly, the dragon snagged Dante by its hook and threw him like a rag doll. His body bounced off the ground a couple of times before it stopped near the edge, his head slumping over it. Once he opened his eyes, Dante quickly rolled away and stood back up.

Flapping its wings, the Dragonmare took to the air. Dante tried to catch the beast, but it was already out of his aerial attack's reach. "Now it is time for the endgame!" Akumu screeched. Backing away with a flap, the Dragonmare flew forward at ramming speed. It skimmed over the surface as its long clawed toes raked the ground. Dante dashed toward the foe and made a calculating leap. Spinning in the air, his blade managed to cut the control core during one of his revolutions. The dragon lost its balance, flying awkwardly from the platform before it turned back. In retaliation, Akumu unleashed a volley of laser blasts at Dante. All the black teen could do was rely on his speed to evade the green bullets. Though he managed to dodge most of the attacks, he was still wounded by some of the lasers. Due to fatigue and wounds, Dante fell on one knee, his scythe being the only thing supporting him. "I am impressed that someone of such a young age has such vitality," Akumu said. "Indeed, I commend you on your ability. Now comes the deciding strike. Are you ready, wielder?"

Dante tightened the grip of his scythe. "Let's do this shit, Akumu!" the black teen shouted. "Don't take this personally, man, but I don't plan on dying yet. I'm in it to win it and nothing will change that!"

"Very well. Let us finish this quarrel and test your worth once and for all!" Both combatants dashed toward each other, yelling and roaring as they neared one another. Akumu's clawed feet and jaws were wide opened as Dante pulled his scythe back. As soon as they met, the Dragonmare lowered its head, ready to clamp onto the teen.

However, the smaller human jumped on the top of its head and ran down its neck. Akumu's camera was locked on Dante's face as he sped near and slashed it in two. Once Dante made it to the core, he raised his scythe and plunged its blade into the core. A bright glow started to resonate from the small dome. Seeing this, Dante knew exactly what this mean. "It's gonna blow!" he shouted as he pried his tool from its strike zone and ran forward. He jumped off Akumu's body as it began jerking violently. Dante watched his enemy before a small explosion from the Dragonmare's back sent the creature falling from its course. As soon as a loud collision rattled the earth, the black teen leaped in victory. "Yeah!" he cheered loudly. "That how I do what I do!" Feeling grateful and releasing a sigh of relief, Dante's body crashed to the ground. The battle had consumed his strength and he was unable to stand any longer. "Wonder how I get back now…" he thought before he lost consciousness.

Not long after he collapsed, a loud flapping sound came from behind. Using its aching wings to pull itself onto the rock platform, Akumu landed onto the surface. Its head inched toward Dante's body. It sensed that he was still alive, but too exhausted to move. "You have proven your worth to me, young warrior. From this moment on, I shall continue to offer my services to you anyway I can. Including my very form. As a result, I shall uphold my end of our bargain and return your soul to your vessel." Akumu gave a low growl before a green orb formed around Dante. It lifted his body from the ground and slowly floated him into the sky. "Continue on your quest, young Dante. Keep fighting and become stronger for the both of us."

* * *

Breathing heavily just as he regained consciousness, Dante slowly picked himself off the ground. The stab wound on his chest which nearly killed him was now nearly sealed. Sitting up and coughing heavily to clear his airways, the teen scanned his surroundings. On the ground before him was his zanpakuto Kowa ro Shii Maru in its sealed state. Reaching over and grabbing its hilt, he slid it back in its sheath before replying in a sing-song tone, "I'm back." Dante then heard a sudden crashing sound from his left. From that direction, a cloud of dust rose above the buildings. "Ich and Big Ken must be goin' at it." Drawing his other zanpakuto, he shouted, "Burst with the fury of the future! Akumu hi Ryuujin!" With his sword now in its scythe form, Dante stood still as he felt the surge of spirit energies clashing with one another. "A smart man would stay out of shit like this after he was just killed," he said. Then he cracked a smirk before adding, "But where would the fun be in that?" Gathering enough soul power, Dante used his transformation ability and became a Mare-Embryo (a dragonmare in the infant stage with a white exoskeleton, green wing membranes, and a straight tail). _"Okay, not exactly my color scheme, but it'll do,"_ Dante thought. "Alright Zaraki! I'm comin' fo' yo' ass!" Dante shouted with a screech escaping his jaws. With a flap of his wings, Dante roared as he took to the sky and traveled to the location of the battle.

* * *

At a fair distance from Dante's take off point, Ichigo was now fighting against Kenpachi. Not long ago, the substitute was also killed by the captain of the 11th Squad. That was before he returned from the dead with an increase in spiritual pressure and strength. Now back with a vengeance, he was landing strong attacks against the enemy. Attacks that would slay ordinary opponents and leave them as eviscerated bodies in pools of their own blood.

However, Kenpachi has proven himself to be no ordinary opponent. He was still parrying the orange-haired teen's strikes. It goes without saying, he can dish it out and take it. In fact, once the two locked blades once Ichigo had the upper hand, a smile that stretched ear-to-ear had formed on the large man. Noticing this, Ichigo quickly distanced himself from the captain. "This is wrong!" he shouted. "Do you love fighting so much that you're not afraid of dying!? You're insane!"

"Afraid of dying?" Kenpachi asked. "Why would you even ask such a thing? One who is as strong as you should love the heat of battle. Celebrate the sensation of death and pain. It is the price warriors like us must pay." Ichigo was at disbelief at hearing this. He knew before that this man was a bloodthirsty fighter. His ruthless fighting style and his vitality were clear indicators. But he had no idea Kenpachi was this savage. One would even argue he was borderline sociopathic.

Suddenly, an unearthly screech rang out from above the pair. Just as Ichigo was about to look up, a fast round of laser balls descended upon Kenpachi like smart bombs. The captain was shrouded in a dust cloud upon the barrage's impact and Ichigo was more astonished. _"What the hell was that?"_ he thought to himself. He looked up and saw a grotesque white creature the size of a small elephant descend upon him, its eyeless face and gaping jaws aimed at the captain level shinigami. Ichigo brought his blade up, expecting to fight what he viewed as a new threat. However, that was before it transformed and was revealed to be Dante. "Surprise, motherfucker!" he shouted.

"Dante!?" Ichigo asked rather flabbergasted. "Is that really you?"

"Who were you expectin'? Charles Barkley?"

"I thought you were dead? That bastard said he killed you!"

"Maybe he did. But that scar on your chest looks pretty deep for a nick," Dante said as he referenced the orange-haired teen's clotted injury.

"Well, I see you also managed to escape death," Kenpachi said through the smoke. Both teens turned their attention to the enemy. Calling upon his soul energy, Kenpachi blew away the smoke as a yellow aura momentarily enveloped his body.

"Sorry to disappoint you, big man," Dante said. "But I ain't going down anytime soon, you feel me? We have things to take care of!"

"Is that so? Well until you defeat me, you're not going anywhere," Kenpachi said. "And this time, once I kill you, I will make sure you stay dead." Ichigo and Dante glanced at one another. They knew in order to defeat this captain, they had to use their combined power and fighting ability. They could not hold back against this foe. The two nodded their heads in silent confirmation before Dante turned his I-Pod to "Victory Must Be Grasped" from the .hack//G.U. games. He then rushed toward the captain, ready to strike with deadly intent. Kenpachi also charged ahead, his zanpakuto held in the air as a sick smile pasted on his face. Once they met, the two's weapons collided and they were now in a shoving match. Dante was slowly pushing the foe back. "I see you have gotten stronger than you were before," the captain said.

Dante smirked. "Guess getting killed and coming back from the dead can do that to ya," the black teen quipped. With a loud yell, the rogue pushed Kenpachi's sword away and slashed his midsection. Kenpachi did not flinch and tried striking again. However, Dante evaded the blow as Ichigo charged in and delivered a strike to the mad captain's chest. His cleaver spilling blood from the blow. The captain struck once more, as his sword came down upon the smaller redhead. However, the substitute shinigami brought his sword up to counter and the two blades bounced off one another followed in a loud clang. Dante quickly went in, leaping over his teammate and slashed Kenpachi. The high-ranked Death God quickly struck, but Dante spun to the side, slashing him in the process. Kenpachi quickly turned back and went to attack, but Ichigo used this opportunity to land a hit.

Soon the two made a joint attack, landing powerful, eviscerating blows upon the target. Kenpachi stepped back from each blow he took. The strikes were too fast and strong for him to counter or block. His blood dripped on the ground and stained the younger warriors' blades as they overpowered him. Even so, he only laughed as pain surged through his torn being. Perhaps it was the blood loss that had gotten to him. Or maybe he had truly went insane. Either way, the captain was loving this. "This is wonderful!" he replied. "After all these years, I have finally met not one, but two warriors who are a match for me. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if you were slightly better! This is truly an exhilarating experience!"

"Same here, man," Dante said. "Maybe after this we can be homies."

Kenpachi smirked at the black teen's comment. "Maybe. But for now…" The captain placed his hand over his eye patch. Seeing this, the two heroes braced themselves. "I'm going to face you with no limitations at all!" As soon as the man pulled off his patch, his spirit pressure went off the charts. Yellow, raw energy roared into the skies above and rocked the ground below the three combatants. Its power was being sensed by all who was nearby.

* * *

Captain Hitsugaya, who was at Squad 10 headquarters, was one of these people. For a while now, he's been observing the erratic fluctuations in spirit pressure near the Repentance Tower. _"This is… inconceivable,"_ he thought with gritted teeth as small drop of sweat poured down his head. _"All of this just from three individuals alone."_ As a fellow captain, he had known Kenpachi to be a powerful individual among shinigami. However, for him to unleash his full reiatsu like this was a very rare occasion. And sensing spiritual pressure from opponents just as high was almost unheard of.

However, what really brought his attention to the battle was one of the individuals he was sensing. There was something familiar about one of the two ryouka. "That spiritual pressure… Could it be…" The child prodigy sifted through his memory like files in a cabinet. Then he realized that this power was the same that he sensed from the Deinonychus he encountered the other day. Or more specifically, the individual who took on that form. After everything that has occurred today, the only thing going through his mind was that he should have eliminated the anomaly when he had the chance.

* * *

Back on the battleground, Ichigo and Dante were shielding themselves from the strong winds Kenpachi's spirit pressure was creating. This power surprised Ichigo and Dante was also rather taken aback by it. "Oh man," Dante said. "This son of a bitch here is getting pumped!"

"Don't you think it's a little late to pull a stunt this late?" Ichigo asked. "Now what little secret have you been hiding under that patch?"

"Hiding? Oh please," Kenpachi began. "I wouldn't go so low to use such underhanded methods." He raised his cover for both fighters to see. The other side of the eye patch was covered with small snapping jaws filled with sharp teeth. "I had the Research Department create this little sucker for me. It consumes large amounts of spirit force from the wearer."

"Ugh. For something so small, that toy's pretty nasty," Dante replied.

"Now that I've pulled this handicap off, my power's at a full 100%!" Tossing his device aside, Kenpachi stroked his blade to the side, his spirit energy finally ceasing. Just then, the building beside him fell, slashed in half by his seemingly dull blade. "Now there is nothing to stop me from going all out. I will use all of my power to kill you."

Dante and Ichigo stood in their positions, accessing the situation. The power of Kenpachi's zanpakuto was gathering by the second. It was clear that the captain was preparing for a final attack. The two focused on their zanpakuto, concentrating for advice from the spirits which lied within. "Look at this fool," Dante heard before feeling a breeze from above. Hovering overhead was Akumu hi Ryuujin who studied Kenpachi. "His zanpakuto is screaming and he does not even know it." The black teen heard a loud cry emanating from the enemy's blade. The roar was loud and unnerving. "This man is not in synch with his sword. Dante, when a true warrior fights, their weapon and body are one. Companions who battle side by side as equals. This shinigami does not know this fact and as a price, his power is mitigated." Dante nodded in agreement. As strong as he is, Kenpachi was still at a disadvantage. In a battle as important as this, such disservice could lead to one's downfall. "Now Dante, are you and I on equal terms?"

"You know it, Akumu," Dante said. "Together, there's no way we can loose! We're gonna make sure of this guy drops." With that said, Dante's body and eyes emitted a dark red glow. Next to him, Ichigo was glowing bright blue with the matching color burning in his eyes.

Just then, both teens released their spiritual pressure. The warriors' reiatsu burned like infernos. It was clear that they were ready to give it their all. "It looks like your spiritual pressure is increasing even now," Kenpachi said.

"Of course it is," Ichigo replied. "That's because I'm borrowing the strength from Zangetsu and fighting alongside him. There's no way I can loose to someone like you who fights all alone. I'm twice as strong."

"And with me and Akumu hi Ryuujin here, we ain't gonna give in," Dante added. "You're gonna get knocked the fuck out."

"Zangetsu and Akumu hi Ryuujin, huh? Strong words. Especially from someone who think that borrowing the power from your weapons means a victory. How foolish." Both younger warriors glared the captain down. "Zanpakutos are simply weapons made to kill. The approach you take is for idealists and weaklings who do not have any confidence in their own power. That's not mine. And now you will DIE!" Just then, Zaraki's aura formed a large white skull which roared at the two.

"Dante, this may just be the exodus," Akumu called. "We shall unleash the final blow and lay waste to the opposition." With that said, Dante's aura formed a large dragon's skull which roared at the captain. At the same time, Ichigo's spirit energy shaped what appeared to be a hollow's mask. With their reiatsu at their limits, the three combatants charged. Kenpachi, Ichigo, and Dante were now ready to engage in the final attack. Once they met and struck the opponent, a large explosion formed due to the combined spirit force. The blast toppled surrounding buildings and sent shockwaves that shook the Seireitei to its core. Perched on one of the few nearby foundations standing, Yachiru sat as she scanned through the thick smoke that covered the floor.

Once it cleared, she saw the three swordsmen standing like bleeding statues. Ichigo's cleaver was imbedded in Kenpachi's shoulder. Dante's scythe had slashed the side of Kenpachi's midsection, but the blast opened some of the wounds on his body. Kenpachi's sword had been imbedded in Ichigo's right side. The blood of the fighters drenched the shattered ground below them from their wounds. "I'm sorry… my friends…" Ichigo said before he fell to the ground due to a quick loss of blood.

Dante stood a second longer before his leg gave out. However he gave a small chuckle as he tried pulling his head up. "That… felt… good…" he said before he, too, crashed to the floor from blood loss as his scythe reverted back to its zanpakuto form.

Now only Kenpachi remained standing. The victor, perhaps? The weakened warrior stared at Ichigo's lifeless body. Then he turned to Dante's limp form. A deep sigh escaped his lips as he eyed them with some confusion. Just then, blood from both wounds spurted from his body. With a nonchalant smile, Kenpachi pulled up his sword and rested it on his bleeding shoulder. "Why are you sorry…" he said just before his zanpakuto had broke in two. "You idiots… You won…" With that said, Kenpachi Zaraki, one of the strongest and unbeaten of the thirteen court squads, fell in defeat by the hands of the ryouka.

Silence and uneasy filled the air around them. A calm wind blew over their bodies before the sounds of small footsteps approached them. The maker was little Yachiru Kusajishi, who stood in the triangle of the near-dead bodies. She inspected them with an examining eye for about a minute. "Thank you so much," she said as she bowed her pink-haired head to Ichigo. "Kenni had a great time fighting you, Ichi." Ichigo, his eyes barely opened, was unable to speak. She then turned around to Dante, who had just opened his eyes. "You, too, Mr. Dragon," she replied before giving him a bow as well. "It's been such a long time since I've seen Kenni have so much fun. I appreciate what you two have done." In a surprising show of strength, Yachiru lifted her captain, who was twice her size and nearly five times her weight, onto her shoulders. "Hey, why don't you try to stay alive, okay? Maybe you can play with each other again real soon. Oh, and another thing." Walking over to Dante, the young shinigami dug into the pockets of her robe before pulling out a red lollipop. Tearing off its wrapper, she placed the sucker in Dante's mouth. "There you go," she replied with a smile. "Well, see you later!" Carrying Kenpachi's unconscious body, Yachiru leapt onto a building before bouncing on the surface of another. Soon she and Kenpachi were out of sight.

Dante laid still on the ground. Closing his jaw, he sucked on the small candy. _"Mm… Strawberry…"_ was the last thing he thought before blacking out.

* * *

Author's Note 1: In the next chapter, Dante and Ichigo's plan to save Rukia is back on course. Also, they meet Yoruichi's human form for the first time. What hijinks will be unleashed? Read and review.

Author's Note 2: As a side note, the Mare-Embryo portrayed in this story is smaller than the monsters in Panzer Dragoon Orta. I did it because I didn't want something too so early in the story.


	9. Chapter 8

Ch. 8

"Yeah girl… Get over here with that fine ass and glass of gin…" Dante muttered in his sleep. Both he and Ichigo have been in a state of unconsciousness. Their battle with Kenpachi has left the two fighters on the edge of death. Aside from their spiritual power being dangerous low, they were also physically damaged as well. Major slashes, broken bones, punctured organs and loss of blood were attributed factors.

However, in a small hideout on a hillside not too far from the Sokyoku, the two were bandaged up as they rested and recovered. A couple of hours passed since they were brought to their location. Opening his eyes, Dante awoke to his new surroundings. His I-Pod was on "Get 'Em Daddy (Remix)" by Cam-ron, Hell Rell, JR Writer and Jim Jones. "Where am I…?" he asked himself after pulling out the stick that used to house a lollipop. He then cringed as he felt pain from his midsection. Gently, he began pushing against the area to make sure his body parts were accounted for. "Let's see… Ow… My liver's still there… Ow… That's my kidney… And… wait…" Dante started to feel around a certain area. "Hey, is that a… Is that a spleen?" His expression changed after he acknowledged the organ. "Hey, old buddy! How have you been? I ain't seen you since that time I traded you for those Ice Cube albums back in '06 on eBay. Oh happy day!"

"Well I see that you're up," a deep, calm voice said from his left.

"Hmm?" Dante turned to the direction, but saw nothing other than Ichigo's sleeping form. "Who's that? Is that you, Jam-Master Jay? I thought I had at least 9 more years left. Maybe a decade."

"Down here," the voice responded.

Dante looked down and saw a black cat. With its yellow eyes staring at him, the black teen only cocked his head. "Oh look, a kitty. Imma call you… Felix. 'Cause you sorta look like a Felix."

"As flattered as I am, I already have a name."

"Holy crap! It talks! Does this count as really, really bad luck, or really, really good luck? I'm so confused."

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Yoruichi, a friend of Ichigo's. You must be Dante Blaine."

"How do you know my name?" Dante asked with a cock-eyed stare. "Don't tell me you're psychic, too. Oh crap… You gonna be using that telekinesis to blow up my brain. Or worse… turn me into a sitcom character who uses cheap, lowbrow humor in his jokes." The black teen shuddered at the thought.

Yoruichi only sighed. "No I am not," he said. "I witnessed your battle against Marechiyo Omaeda. That's how I know your name."

"Oh yeah?" Dante said with a smirk as he remembered his fight with the giant lieutenant. How he used his size and unorthodox skill to defeat the larger shinigami. He also remembered that he said my name. That may have been how Yoruichi heard it. "Wait, if you were there, how come I didn't feel you."

The black cat gave a nod. "That's because I've learned to mask my spiritual energy. Even the most sensitive individual cannot detect me."

"Damn. Can you teach me that? 'Cause, I'm sorta like a ninja and you know, the whole stealth thing is the top of the list. So…"

"Hmm… Perhaps when we have the chance."

"Alright," Dante said with a smile. "Oh, and thanks for the pick me up. If you didn't do some of your mojo, I would've been dead for sure."

"It was no problem at all, Dante. After all, you have been a big help to Ichigo and the others. However, I shouldn't take all the credit."

"What? You mean you had an assist?"

"Actually, your body was slowly healing itself."

"Wait, seriously?" Dante asked with a cock-eyed look of confusion. "You mean I was getting better."

"Yes, but not by much. The rate of regeneration was too slow. If I hadn't arrived when I did, you would not have survived." Dante did not know what Yoruichi meant. Sure he had close calls, in the past, but he never had the ability to heal himself. Just then, a rustle was heard in Ichigo's bed. Both Dante and Yoruichi turned and saw the substitute regaining conscious. "I see you're awake as well."

"Huh?" Turning his head, Ichigo saw Yoruichi inspecting his injured body. "Yoruichi?" He then looked up and saw Dante, who was in bandages like himself. "Dante, is that you?"

"Welcome back to the living… or dead… Fuck it. Welcome back to the spirit world, Ich."

"Nice to be back. And Yoruichi, thank you for saving our lives."

"You should be thankful to your strong life force, Ichigo. Without it, you'd have surely died from your injuries."

"What?" Ichigo said. He then remembered the fight he and Dante had against Kenpachi Zaraki. How the end of their fight resulted in their current situation. As he was thinking that, he couldn't help but worry about his friends. Were they still surviving or in dire trouble? "Shit!" Ichigo hissed as he quickly shot his body up from his bed.

"Don't sit up!" Yoruichi replied. However, the damage was already done. Ichigo cringed as the bandages wrapping around his abdomen were soaked with blood. "You idiot! Don't you realize how wounded you are!?"

"Chad and the others are in trouble!" Ichigo replied. The young shinigami was about to get up, despite his injured state. However his face was met by four small paws pressing on him with incredible force. Now that Ichigo's body returned to the bed, he now had to deal with the pain from both his midsection, and his face. "Your friends will be alright," Yoruichi assured. "Uryu and Orihime are safe, as well as Chad."

"Seriously?" Dante asked.

"Yes. He is injured, but still alive. It's a good thing he fought who he did. As for Uryu and Orihime, they managed to avoid detection from the enemy."

"That's a relief," Ichigo said thankfully.

"Now both you need to rest," the black cat advised as it pushed a mask along the ground. "Especially you, Ichigo, since half of your organs have been crushed. If it weren't for this object in your shirt, you would have been sliced in half from the torso."

Ichigo was surprised at the information as well as the mask. "That… was inside?"

"I'm surprised you had this on you."

"Hey, yo," Dante said. "Let me take a look at that." With the mask in hand, Dante held it up and inspected it. It appeared as a white face decorated with red stripes on its upper left side. The black teen knew what it was, but still was a little wet behind the ears. "You're telling me this broken thing saved Ichigo's ass from being a two for one special? Exactly how do you think it did that?"

"Perhaps it activated some sort of spiritual barrier that weakened Kenpachi's attack," Yoruichi suggested. "Or it may have increased Ichigo's spirit pressure."

"Aww, no fair! How come Ichigo gets all the cool toys to play with?" Dante pouted as he slid the object back to the cat. "Bullshit."

"But wait, I didn't even know that thing was on me," Ichigo said.

"What do you mean you didn't know it was on you?" Yoruichi inquired.

"After my fight with Renji, it seemed like it saved my life. I figured I should keep it for good luck. But then Hanataro took it from my hands. He said that it was evil or something and then he threw it into the water. I thought that was the last time I saw it."

"Hold on," Dante replied. "When was this? And where was I?"

"Before we met Kenpachi. You were too busy preening like a giant pigeon to listen."

"Watch yo' mouth, Carrot Top! You just jealous cause the ladies love the plume."

"Yeah right," Ichigo retorted. "Like I want to look like a lizard with an identity crisis."

"Don't make me roll over there and eat your liver," Dante warned. "That's the good shit right there."

"Whatever," Ichigo said. He picked up the mask and raised it over his head. "Still, it's pretty weird to see it here. I could've sworn it was thrown away."

"Ichigo, allow me to hold on to it," Yoruichi said in a generous voice.

"Are you kidding me?" Ichigo replied. "I'm keeping it."

"Hand it over! End of discussion!" the black cat replied in a more threatening tone. His spirit energy blanketed his coat, intimidating the orange-haired youth and making the black teen shudder.

"Yes, sir…" Ichigo said in defeat. "Here it is..." The substitute laid the object on the ground before Yoruichi, who eyed it cautiously. "Well, I have to say I'm impressed at how strong you are. You managed to carry both of us, despite being so small."

"And so adorable," Dante said under his breath. However, his comment did not go unheard as both Yoruichi and Ichigo turned to the black teen in confusion. "What? You were thinking it too."

"Lifting things is no problem for me once I return to my original form," Yoruichi replied in a humble tone.

"Ah yes, I almost forgot about your original form," Ichigo replied in a nonchalant tone. He then realized what Yoruichi said and was dumbstruck. "Wait, you have an original form?"

"Oh. I forgot I haven't shown it to either of you, yet. Since you came this far, I guess I can show you."

"Well come on!" Dante said anxiously, knowing full well what will happen. "Do it! Do it! Do it!"

"Calm down, Dante," Yoruichi said to the coaching teen. "Now, behold! This is my true form!" Releasing spirit energy, the cat's eyes began to glow. Both Ichigo and Dante (with a giddy smile) watched as the feline transformed. Smoke appeared from its paws as it started to rise upright. Front paws became slim fingers as the back ones turned into human shaped feet. With no hair except on the head (which was long and purple in color) and milk chocolate brown skin, the black cat was instead a young, slender woman.

Ichigo was struck with disbelief, his finger he pointed with shook out of control. At the same time, Dante's jaws virtually dropped to the ground as he was staring at the revealing form of one of his favorite female anime characters. "No way!" the orange-haired teen replied. "Y-You're a… Y-You're a woman!?"

"_Hallelujah! Hallelujah!"_ Dante sung in his head, his arms held up high in triumph. _"This is the best damn day of my life! God, a.k.a. Kubo, thank you!"_

A smirk grew on Yoruichi's face. "I see that you two are pretty surprised," she said as her arms crossed her chest. "I guess you thought I was a man due to my voice." The young woman approached Ichigo, who was still a wreck. "You know, I've revealed my true nature like this many times in the past, and each time is always amusing. With most of them having stupefied expressions like yours." She then turned to Dante, who seemed to be enjoying the show. "So, do I look that good?" Yoruichi asked flirtatiously.

The black teen only answered with a slow nod. "The black snake moans…" he said in a low tone.

"But… But I thought… you were just a cat?" Ichigo replied.

"Cats don't talk, Ichigo. Use your head." Hearing this, the Soul Reaper's head dropped as well as his pointer finger. Yoruichi knelt down to Ichigo's level with a small object in hand. "That's quite enough shock for today. Now I'll tell you why I brought you two here." Once Ichigo picked his head up, he found it rather hard to focus on Yoruichi's face as her breasts were virtually in his face. His body became hot and red all over as his eyes started trailing from her face and to other areas of her body. It was too hard for him to remain collected when a woman's full anatomy was in his face. "First of all, let me give you an explanation of this ob-"

"God dammit! Would you just put some clothes on!?" Ichigo erupted. Both Dante and Yoruichi were rather stunned at how loud he objected.

Yoruichi sighed. "Alright. I guess it would make things a little easier." Standing back up, the young woman walked to the other side of the room as she grabbed her spare clothes.

"No wait! Don't go!" Dante said with an outreached arm. "Hey, you want to see the infamous one-eyed black python?" Yoruichi only smiled before continuing with her business.

Ichigo turned away as Yoruichi got dressed. Now he didn't have to worry about a naked body for the time being. However, he was somewhat nervous once his gaze met Dante's piercing glare. "What are you looking at?" the substitute whispered.

"Is you out yo' damn mind!?" he asked in a low-stern tone.

"But she was naked!" Ichigo said defensively. "What the hell was I supposed to do? Sit and act like nothing was happening?"

"At the very least!" the black teen replied. "What self-respecting man tells a fine-ass honey to go put some clothes on when she's naked!? Shit, I guess when you get some free cotton candy at a fair, you tell them to take it back, huh!"

"Man, you're starting to sound like Kon or Keigo. Are you this much of a pervert where you come from?"

"Hey! I just love the finer things in life. Including naked women!"

"You know I can hear you two," Yoruichi said nonchalantly. Both Dante and Ichigo became quiet as their cheeks went red.

"Don't mind Ich, over here. He just ain't got no play," Dante said. He then whispered, "He's really touchey about it."

"I would kill you right now if I wasn't so injured," Ichigo said with a piercing glance.

"Yeah, and I would be at a circus with all the cute little animals and hot tight-rope walking ladies if I didn't have such a strong, borderline homicidal hatred for clowns and mimes. What's your point?"

Ichigo only shook his head slowly. "What the hell is wrong with you?" he asked.

"Schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder, MPD, ADD… And that's just from the brain tumor. But they're pretty controlled. Then I have a tapeworm, some scoliosis... Guess you can say I'm a madcap mixbag of madness and fun."

"Actually, I managed to cure your back and parasite problems," Yoruichi interjected. "I must say, it was a rather daunting and disturbing task. How did you get them?"

"The worm was from Tijuana when this girl and I wanted to get freaky with the can of guacamole sauce. The scolio… Cheny's last quail hunt. No survivors…"

"Okay, that was more than I need to know…" Ichigo said as a sweatdrop formed on Ichigo's head. How can somebody like Dante even be allowed to walk around in public was a mystery, much less still alive.

"Anyway, sorry about that. I've been a cat for so many years, clothes have been something of a forgotten memory," Yoruichi said as she slipped on her shirt. She then turned to Ichigo and smirked. "Still, I never thought you'd be such a shy individual. This must have been your first time seeing a woman's body."

"Shut up, alright," Ichigo replied.

"Are you sure you don't want another peek? Life is short and you might not have another chance."

"I said shut up!" Ichigo said as he turned around, his face fully reddened.

"Here you go," Yoruichi said as she pulled up her shirt, revealing everything below the torso. Ichigo was screamed in shock by what he had witnessed and quickly covered his face in both embarrassment and the embarrassment from the pain from his reopened wounds.

"Thank you, Kubo!" shouted Dante before he too succumbed from the stinging sensation of his bandaged body.

"Would you two stop doing that?" Yoruichi said. "Your screaming and sudden movements are opening your wounds.

"Shut the hell up!" Ichigo hollered. "And for god sakes, put some underwear on! Pants first before anything else! Geez!" Once more, the substitute buckled over.

A few minutes have passed before things died down. Yoruichi had just finished putting on her clothes (consisting of black track pants and undershirt and orange top shirt). "So tell me, how did you learn how to transform?" Dante asked. "You know, that whole kitty thing."

"Well, that ability is unique among my family. Only a few of us in my clan can perform such a skill. It takes high concentration and spiritual energy to execute such an ability."

"Makes sense, I guess."

"It almost sounds like how you transform," Ichigo asked. "Is it possible you two are related?"

"We ain't blood," Dante said. "Remember, I'm still alive and from a different world. Plus my transforming depends on what weapon I got on me and how much reiryoku's in my body to keep up the form."

"You mean you're also from the living world?" Yoruichi asked

"Right... Something like that."

"Anyway, how did you bring us here in the first place?" Ichigo asked.

"Simple," Yoruichi said as she held a small device decorated with a bird's head and long finger bones. "I used this device, which allowed me to fly you two here."

"I get it. And you activated it by placing soul energy inside it."

"That's right. What you have in your hand is a rarity. The only one of its kind in the entire Soul Society."

"But why would you have something like this?" Ichigo asked. Yoruichi only turned to him in silence. "You can transform, you have the power to heal, and you have precious items. Yoruichi, who in the world are you?"

Silence filled the room as both Dante and Ichigo turned to the dark-skinned woman, waiting for an answer. "Well-" Before Yoruichi could answer, a powerful spiritual pressure rattled the hideout. The three were stunned by the force and its close proximity.

Dante, in alarm, turned his head in all directions. "What the hell!? Is it Big Z again!? I thought we fucked his ass up!"

"No!" Ichigo replied. "It's him… Byakuya…"

"You know who's doing this?"

"Ichigo had an encounter with him the night Rukia was taken back here," Yoruichi clarified. "He's the Captain of Squad 6 and one of the strongest in the Soul Society."

"Alright," Dante muttered to himself with a smirk. "Another challenger."

"That spiritual pressure was coming from the Senzaikyu."

"You mean the white tower?"

Yoruichi answered with a nod. Hearing this Ichigo, bolted out his bed and ran to the exit. Seeing this Dante also left his mat and strapped his zanpakutos to his back. "What do you think you two are doing!?"

"Ganju and Hanataro may already be at that tower," Ichigo said.

"In other words, this is an emergency and we gotta save their asses. Besides, someone's got to watch the strawberry's back." Dante said he said as he released Akumu hi Ryuujin. However, his scythe had evolved. Now the top of its blade had sharp spike which worked like a chain saw and a smaller blade on the other side of its pole. Needless to say, the wielder was impressed by the design. "Nice."

"What can you two possibly do in the condition you're in!?" Yoruichi replied.

"If we don't go, who's gonna save them!?" Stretching out his right arm as he held Yoruichi's item, Ichigo released his spirit energy. The device activated, wrapping a long tendril tightly around his arm and sprouting a blue bat wing.

"_Damn. Shit looks more pimp up close,"_ Dante thought.

"Fly." Upon command, Ichigo crashed through the door and soared to the sky.

Dante ran to the ledge, with his scythe in hand. "It's been real, Yoruichi. See ya!" Activating his weapon's ability, the black teen transformed into a white dragonmare and followed Ichigo in quick haste. Speeding through the skies like an airplane, the nightmare dragon was able to catch up to the one-winged Soul Reaper. Ichigo looked up as he saw the strange winged beast floating above him. "So you're coming too?"

"You know it! Don't you know who I am!?" Dante screeched. "I'm Dante Blaine! The only motherfucker in the world that has done the Dolph Zigler, the Montreal Screwjob, the Leroy Jenkins, the Albuquerque Nutcracker, the Count Dooku, and the Dirty Dozen! You don't believe me? Ask the girls from That 70's Show, Power Girl, and Ms. Marvel."

Ichigo only stared at the dragonmare quixotically. All he heard were screeches and growls instead any true language. Still, knowing that the creature was still Dante, he had no doubt that obscene and inane comments were said and shook off his confusion. Once the duo arrived,, the substitute looked down, seeing the bridge which connected the headquarters with the tower. On the connecting path stood Hanataro, Ganju and Rukia as well as the enemy captain Byakuya Kuchiki. "We're here," Ichigo replied. "Are you ready?"

"Hell yeah, motherfucker! Let's do this!" Dante screeched as his body stretched and tail swung.

"I'll take that as a yes. When I release my spirit pressure, meet me down there." The two parted ways with Ichigo lowering altitude while Dante flew high above the tower.

Reverting to his original form, the black teen sat and waited for Ichigo. "So this is the big, bad Senzaikyu," Dante said. "I'll give them points on placement, but the whole prison tower: a little Dark Ages, don't you think?" For a few minutes, the black teen witnessed the battle between Ganju and the shinigami captain, all of which ended in the Shiba male's defeat at the hands of Senbonzakura. The shiki of the foe had left the large man an eviscerated vessel thanks to its seemingly fast and invisible petals. "Damn, talk about overkill!" Dante said. "That shit'll leave some marks!"

With a defeated Ganju lying on the ground, the foe was ready to go in for the kill. However, as luck would have it, another captain, this one with long white hair, stopped Byakuya in his tracks. Captain of Squad 13, this was Jushiro Ukitake. Not long after his intervention, a strong, captain-level spiritual pressure shook the area. Dante smiled before saying to himself, "Showtime." Pulling out one of his swords, the black teen jumped off the edge. With his sword embedded in the tower, the black teen slid down its surface, at the same time, Ichigo shot up into the sky before landing in front of Rukia. "Aww… That entrance was so awesome…" Sliding down enough feet, Dante leapt off the building and onto the bridge. "Yeah! That's what I'm talkin' about Ich!"

"Perfect timing, Dante," Ichigo replied.

"That entrance you just did was straight money! Shit, you need to show me how you do that!" he then walked over to Hanataro, who was rather surprised to see the two. "Yo' Hana, what it do, bro. You good, man?"

"Yeah, I'm okay. Coming here was a little tough, but we managed to get through."

"Good to hear, cuz."

"Rukia, I've come to get you out of here," Ichigo said. Rukia was speechless. Last time she saw this young man, he was lying bloody on a street. Fatally wounded and stripped of his soul reaper powers, there was no way he would survive. However, here he was, exuding amounts of spiritual pressure that make captain-level shinigami cringe. Ichigo noticed and shouted, "Why are you looking at me like that!? Don't you see I'm trying to save you? Show some gratitude!"

"Fool!" snapped Rukia, taking Ichigo aback. "I told you that… I wouldn't forgive you if you came. And now look at you. You're all injured. And if you stay here, there will be more to come."

"Yeah, I know," Ichigo said as he turned to Ganju.

"So, you must be Rukia, huh?" Dante said. The imprisoned soul reaper turned to face Dante's flirtatious smile. "I gotta say, you look pretty cute up close."

Rukia scanned the strange black teen, confused, but flustered by his comment. She then turned to the taller substitute and asked, "Who's this?"

"Him? He's Dante. The guy may be a little bit of a freak…"

"I prefer the term 'unorthodox enthusiast,'" Dante corrected with a finger in the air.

"But he was a big help in getting me here."

"Hell yeah. When you holler at yo' boy, you get the very best. Especially when it's for a pretty lady like you," he said to Rukia.

"Yeah, thanks…" Rukia said with a small, confused smile before turning to Ichigo again. "What was he just saying?"

"Trust me, you don't want to know," Ichigo replied. He then turned to Byakuya, who glared down upon the opposition. "Anyway, you can yell at me later all you want. But right now, I'm going to defeat him."

"Ichigo…"

"What? Don't tell me you actually think I should give up after coming this far."

"It's just…"

"I won't. After everything I've been through, I will not run away. I came here to save you and that's that!" The orange-haired teen then turned around. "And another thing: From now on, all of your suggestions are ignored. You're leaving even if I have to carry you kicking and screaming! You got that!? I'm the rescuer here, so you shut up!"

"Damn!" Dante replied.

"How dare you speak to me like that!" Rukia retorted. "The rescuer isn't supposed to ignore the rescuey!"

"Using that logic, why would the rescuey argue about the rescue, huh!? How about you sit back and be in distress shouting 'save me, save me!'" As the argument continued, Hanataro stood on the sidelines, wondering whether or not he should intervene. Dante, on the other hand, was trying hard not to laugh. On the other side of the bridge, Captain Ukitake was rather puzzled by how his former subordinate and her supposed savior were bickering. The only person who seemed unaffected was Byakuya Kuchiki, who saw this as a waste of time and wished to continue with his duties.

"I don't need to be saved! And I especially don't scream!" Despite this, Ichigo only wagged his tongue, ignoring Rukia's statements.

Dante moved to Hanataro's location. The healer was both speechless and confused. "If this is how they're acting now, you don't want to see the honeymoon," the black teen whispered, with Hanataro nodding in response. "Hey, Ichigo! You ready to kick these motherfucker's ass?" Dante pulled out his swords, the ends of the blades' pointing to the two captains. "Just say the word, man, 'cause you know how it is."

Upon Dante drawing his zanpakuto, Captain Ukitake noticed something odd about the swords. The energy they were releasing was odd, yet very familiar to him. "Those swords…" he muttered to himself. It's as if he had sensed this power before. However, he was unsure as to where.

"Right, about that… this is something I need to do alone," Ichigo replied.

"Are you serious? Look, Renji was one thing, but this fool's an El Capitan! Think of it as a mastiff over a doberman. A Flame-Broiled Whopper over a Cheeseburger. Ice Cube over MC Hammer, man! You're going up against a Number 1!"

"I understand that, Dante. Listen, if anything should happen, I want you to take Rukia and Hanataro out of here. You got it?"

Honestly, Dante didn't like the idea of being an auxiliary. After all, a fight with a captain as strong as Byakuya would not only help in his quest to increase his power, but it would be an exciting battle. However, he knew that this was something Ichigo had to do. "Fine, Ich," Dante said as he sat on the railing. "But don't do anything stupid, with your crazy ass. And if shit gets tight, tag in a brotha, 'ight?"

"Alright." Agreeing to Dante's proposal, Ichigo moved forward as did Byakuya. Once the two met at the center of the bridge, the captain shinigami released his spiritual pressure. Due to its strength, Rukia and Hanataro were forced to the floor while Dante got off the rail, not risking the chance of falling to the ground many stories below. Still, the black teen was able to stand, as was Ichigo and Captain Ukitake.

The battle started as the enemy used his shunpo, hoping to strike Ichigo from behind. However, the substitute was able to block the strike and react in good timing. Byakuya was surprised, but still kept his calm. The foe tried once more, but Ichigo managed to strike, his sword colliding with Byakuya's. Hanataro was shocked by how Ichigo was keeping up with such an experienced and powerful shinigami. "I can't believe it!" he replied. "Ichigo's fighting on an even level with Captain Kuchiki!"

"Of course he is, Hana," Dante replied confidently. "This is Ichigo we're talkin' about, you feel me? He's like the million dollar man up in here. Speaking of dollars… wanna wager?"

After a few minutes of parrying blows and blocking attacks, the two combatants distanced themselves. At the moment, this fight was at a stalemate. "I admit you have gotten stronger than what I believed was possible," Byakuya said before he turned the blade of his sword up in the air. "Even so, I will put an end to this before you get overtaken by your cockiness. I will show you the gap in power you cannot close even if your trained for thousands of years."

Everyone on the bridge was tensed as they knew what was coming next. "Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit!" Dante replied multiple times. "Watch yo'self, Ich! This foo's 'bout to pull that flower power shit on your ass! Get to steppin', nigga! Get to steppin'!"

"Run, Ichigo!" Rukia shouted.

"Scatter…" Before the captain could continue his command, the entirety of his zanpakuto was wrapped in cloth as a familiar figure appeared instantly before him. Everyone on the bridge was in a state of disbelief. In an orange shirt and black pants, it turned out to be none other than Yoruichi. "You…"

"It's been a long time, Byakuya."

"Yoruichi Shihoin…"

"Who is that?" Hanataro asked.

"That, my homies, is Yoruichi Shihoin, and she just went ninja-style on the fangirl magnet!" Dante replied.

"You two know her?" Rukia asked.

"Ichigo more than me, ya dig? She helped him and the others get inside the court. She also found us after the whole battle with Kenpachi Zaraki."

"You mean you two managed to win against Kenpachi Zaraki?" Hanataro asked in surprise.

"What is this? Twenty questions?" Dante replied. "Yeah, we won! Else we wouldn't be here!"

"I know I've heard that name before," Rukia replied.

"Former Commander of the Stealth Force and Corps. Commander of the First Division's Punishment Force. Yoruichi Shihoin. It's been nearly one hundred years since I've last seen your face. I had thought you died."

Dante whistled as he heard the accolades of their ally. "Damn! Talk about a big list of qualifications!" he said in an impressed manner. "Hey, would that go under 'Personal Skills' or 'Other Interests' in a job interview?" Both Hanataro and Rukia turned to the black teen in confusion. "What? You both were thinking it, too."

"Yoruichi, I understand that you came to rescue me," Ichigo said. "I appreciate it. Still, I need you to move out of the way. I am going to take this guy out."

"You actually think you can beat him?" Yoruichi asked. "You truly are a fool!" In the blink of an eye, the ex-captain used her speed, this time on Ichigo. Targeting the wound, Yoruichi delved her arm straight into his abdomen. Shock and awe decorated everyone's face (including the usually stoic Byakuya).

"Wh-What are you… doing, Yoruichi…!?" Ichigo asked weakly just before he became unconscious. Pulling her hand out of the wound, the woman caught the orange-haired warrior as he fell.

"What the-!? What the fuck was that for!?" Dante replied in horror. Just then, Yoruichi turned to him, showing a cold, remorseless gaze. "I-I ain't say nothin'…" Dante replied as he took a few steps back.

"That was medicine, wasn't it?" Captain Ukitake asked. "Either gaten or hoten, you forced a powerful anesthetic directly into his internal organs. What are your plans with this young man, Yoruichi?"

"Whatever you plan to do, it is meaningless," Byakuya said nonchalantly. "You will not escape here alive."

"Really?" Yoruichi said. "I'm amazed how you talk so big, Byakuya. If I remember correctly, I don't believe you have ever won a game of tag against me."

"Then let me give it another try." Quickly, the captain used his shunpo, ready to attack Yoruichi, but the woman was able to evade, appearing behind him instead. The foe then drew his zanpakuto and slashed. Using her agility again, Yoruichi backed away from the blow, but distanced herself once Byakuya arrived from behind. Once they distanced themselves, the two approached before they flash stepped forward. Quickly, Yoruichi managed the leap over the captain and continued forward. Thinking she was in the clear, she slowed her speed. However, that proved to be a fatal mistake once Byakuya towered over her. "Did you really believe you could escape with such slow flash steps?" he asked just before delivering a powerful slash. Blood spurted in the air as Yoruichi's body fell back, her life meeting its end.

Suddenly, the body changed into a couple sheets of paper. Byakuya was deceived and resting on his arm was Yoruichi. "Did _you_ really believe you could catch me with such slow flash steps?" she asked playfully. She shunpoed off of his arms and stood on a roof before him. "Three days. In that amount of time, I will make this boy stronger than you. Until then, consider this fight between you a draw." She then turned to Dante. "Dante!"

"Who, me?" Dante asked as he pointed to himself. "What it is?"

"I want you to meet up with us back at the hideout. You will be trained, too."

"Seriously? You gonna train me? Hm… Why not? I'm game, babe."

"You can pursue us if you wish, Byakuya. The Goddess of Flash, Yoruichi Shihoin, will not be captured by the likes of you." With that said, Yoruichi quickly sped off.

"Whoa-hoa!" Dante replied. "Looks like Yoruichi got yo' number, son! You gonna get it good in 72 hours! I think I'd start writing my will." Byakuya turned his head to the black teen who instantly got into battle position. "Oh, so you wanna go? Shred with the rage of the past, Kowa ro Shii Maru!" Now in shiki mode, the sword (as is the case with his scythe) had changed shape. Now it became a long nodachi with a fiery red blade and sharp spikes on top. With it and his other sword drawn, Dante was rearing to go.

With his gaze glued on the individual, the captain sensed a spiritual power just as strong as Ichigo's. However, he did not feel like having another battle and turned his focus away. "A fool like you is not worth my time," he said as he continued on his path. "Be grateful I have lost interest in you."

"So you're going to let them go?" Ukitake asked.

"Like I said, this is not my problem. Do what you wish with them." With that said, Byakuya left the scene.

"Man, that guy's a douche!" Dante hissed. "He might be a magnet for the hearts of many fangirls, but if shit went down, it would've ended with a lot of strokes."

"Yeah, I'm sure that would be the case," Hanataro said, seeing this as the teenager's ego instead of fact as Dante believed. With Byakuya gone, Rukia, tired and weary, crashed to the floor. Both Hanataro and Dante hurried to her aid. "Rukia!" he called.

"Damn. Girl dropped like a ton of bricks."

"Hey Kiyone! Sentaro!" Ukitake called. "Come on down here!"

Leaping from the building, two figures appeared before the pale-looking captain. One of them, a young woman named Kiyone Kotetsu, had a golden ball haircut. The other, Sentaro Kotsubaki, was a taller man with bushy eyebrows and a pointed beard. Both of them were Ukitake's third seats. "At your service captain! What are your orders?" the two subordinates said in unison.

Ukitake turned back to see Hanataro and Dante guarding Rukia. Seeing their dedication, the captain smiled and turned back to his officers. "I thought you two were here. How long have you been watching?"

"We arrived just as soon as Captain Kuchiki swung his sword and told him his behavior was dangerous, Captain!" hastily explained Sentaro.

"So I guess that would mean from the beginning. I thought I told you two to stay at your posts until the matter was resolved?"

"I'm sorry, Captain! I was just driven to follow your lead as a precautionary measure in case something happened, sir!"

"No way is that the case!" interjected Kiyone. "I was the one who was driven due to my great amount of respect for you! In fact, you might say I love you! I-I mean, truly respect you!"

"What!? Why do you always have to butt in like that!? I'm the one who has the more respect for him!"

"You wish! How about you shut up, ya moron!"

"How about you make me!"

"Is that a fight!? Come on and let's go!"

"Yo, Hana," Dante said. "Who're the odd couple?"

"That's Squad 13's Kiyone Kotetsu and Sentaro Kotsubaki. They share the third seat position and are Ukitake's loyal subordinates."

"Huh. Didn't think it was possible to share a seat…"

"Usually it isn't, but due to their skills being on equal terms, the two were both chosen and have become rivals ever since. Not only that, but they were also born on the same day."

"Damn! Talk about eternal rivalry."

"Would you two stop it already?" Ukitake asked. "Kiyone, we need medical attention from Squad 8. This man is in dire need."

"Yes, sir!"

"Also have Squad 4 send a relief squad here. Sentaro, I want you to take Rukia back to her prison cell."

"Yes, sir." With his order given, the male third seat walked over to the trio's location. Staring down at Hanataro, Sentaro said with a stern face, "Get out of the way."

"No I won't! You won't put Rukia back in the cell!"

"Move, kid," Dante replied. Hanataro turned to the black teen in confusion. "Are you looking at Rukia? All that spirit pressure wore her out. If you want to help, let the man do his job." Hearing this, the healer knew that his ally was right. Staying out here was doing more harm than good. Reluctantly, Hanataro stepped aside, allowing Sentaro to lift the young woman and take her back. Kiyone was not far behind. Paying no attention to the bickering duo, Dante and Hanataro turned their attention to Jushiro, who was standing over Ganju's lacerated body.

"Um, sir…?" Hanataro started. "I-"

"You probably want to know why I'm helping you, correct?"

"Well, yeah," Dante said. "I mean, isn't it your job to beat our asses and take us in?"

"Dante!?" Hanataro replied.

"No, he is right," the captain replied. "However, with Aizen murdered, there is a chance you may have an idea as to who may be responsible. So there's a reason why we won't kill you right there."

Dante turned his head and snarl. Aizen was never one of his favorite characters. Especially with his ability to manipulate and deceive (something which the black teen might have some respect for). _"Man, I would just love to blow the whistle on that bastard right now,"_ he thought. _"But first of all, I ain't no snitch. And secondly, even if I wanted to, I don't know where he is and no way would anyone believe my ass. Not only that, but who the hell knows what would happen to the plot."_

"There is also another reason. Though your strategy was misguided, your intentions were in the right place. You tried to rescue my subordinate from her cell. My honor would not let me stand by and let you die."

"Honor, huh?" Dante said as he rested his hands on the back of his head as he cracked a smile. "Not bad for a samurai in all white. I'm starting to like this dude."

"Dante, was it?" Jushiro asked. "I have a question to ask you."

"Fire away, big man."

"The zanpakutos on your back. They're yours, aren't they?"

"Of course they are. Why do you ask, Cap?"

"Those soul-cutter swords… I know I've seen them before."

Dante was rather silent. Was there a chance that Ukitake had some idea as to the origins of his swords? "Well, I'll give you a hint. You know the saying 'you don't choose the weapon, the weapon chooses you?' Let's just say neither of us had a chance to decide." Silence filled the section of the bridge for a moment. Hanataro switched his gaze between the maverick and the Squad 13 Captain, who stares toward one another were rather uneasy. At least, until Dante jumped on the rail. "Well, it's been cool and all, but I have places to go and things to do."

"Dante! What do you think you're doing on there?" Hanataro replied.

"Hana, I'll see you later. After all, you still have a lot to learn young grasshopper. And Ukitake, nice to meet ya. Maybe after this, we can be buddies. Well, time for this bro to bounce." With that said, Dante flash stepped from the bridge and onto the roof of a building before heading off.

Ukitake stood silent as his eyes were still on the building he last saw Dante on. _"Clawed Fear of the New Road..."_ he thought to himself. _"Could it be possible...?"

* * *

_After a few minutes, Dante had managed to distance himself away from Soul Society. Now he was focused on finding his way back to the hideout. However, he had to make a quick detour in order to use the bathroom (after all, he hasn't gone for nearly three days).

Unfortunately, once he finished and left the lavatory, fifteen Death Gods had found him and blocked his exit. "So you think you got me pinned? Think again! I'll show ya'll what's up!" Spinning both swords, the black teen's spirit energy started to charge. From above, a dark cloud loomed over the area. "Here comes the bug zappa!" Before the shinigami could react, Dante unleashed his new attack. "Lagi style! Laser Storm!" From the sky, powerful lightning bolts struck the ground. Unable to defend against the attacks, the shinigami fell by its power, yelling as they got hit. "Oh, yeah!" Dante shouted triumphantly as he was the only person in the alleyway standing. "That's what's up, bitches! Thought you asshole's had the best of me? Fuck that! Don't you know I'm the only mo' fo' in the world to have a foursome with them shinobi bitches Nel Zelpher, Sheena Fujibayashi, and Anko Mitarashi while bitchslappin' a motherfuckin' space dolphin as we flew on a 747 watching How High? Method and Red are my boys! Wu-Tang Clan and EPMD till I die, nigga!" Suddenly, the black teen saw a large shadow crossing past a nearby road. No doubt the ruckus attracted someone. "Oh shit…" Quickly, Dante grabbed one of his enemies and took his soul reaper robes. He then threw the underwear remaining body inside the bathroom and slammed the door.

Just as he turned, the new group of shinigami arrived on the scene. They were horrified by the number of defeated bodies that littered the tiled ground and the scorch marks caused by Dante's Laser Storm. "What happened here!?" one of the men replied.

"It was horrible!" Dante replied, feigning the profile of a scared warrior. "This ryouka, he was crazier than hell! He took out everyone, man! I just got here before that fool left and I was like 'holy shit!' He was a savage! Straight up beastly!"

"A ryouka!" another man replied. "Where did he go?"

"I think I saw him start climbing up the buildings hustle it that way!" Dante replied as he pointed to his right.

"Thanks, kid. Alright, men! This way!" The group of shinigami hurried off to the given direction, ready to fight this supposed ryouka.

Dante casually walked out of the alley and watched the men leave. The black teen blew in relief. "Losers," he said with a smile on his face before leaving the alley. Taking a light stroll, the swordsman placed his hands in his pockets while whistling to "Beam Katana Chronicles" from No More Heroes. However, once the theme had ended, Dante came to a crucial realization. He had lost his way to Sokyoku Hill, and more importantly, the hideout near it. The only thing that he could think of was, _"Oh shit! Why didn't I ask Ukitake for a map!"

* * *

_Author's Note 1: In the next chapter a lone Dante finds himself face to face with Nemu, a shinigami with a lot in common. Then he encounters Rangiku Matsumoto, Shuhei Hisagi, and Shunsui Kyoraku. What madness will be wrought? Tune in next time to find out.


	10. Chapter 9

Ch. 9

A couple hours have passed since the battle at the Senzaikyu. After placing Rukia back in her cell, Captain Jushiro Ukitake of Squad 13 escorted one Hanataro Yamada to Central 46 Headquarters to report for his crimes for aiding and bedding criminals. Though the 7th seat's claims were honest and heartfelt, the healer was still to be detained for aiding the intruders and freeing (temporarily as it may have been) an imprisoned criminal. Thankfully, his punishment wouldn't be too severe.

Once he left the chamber, Ukitake was making his way to Ugendo, his estate in the Squad 13 area. On his way to his home, he met up with fellow captain (and fellow 'whitehead') Toshiro Hitsugaya. The young leader had a lot on his mind as he moved. "Hey there, Toshiro," Ukitake said with a sincere smile. "I haven't seen you around in quite some time."

"Ukitake," Toshiro replied. "Is it true that the ryouka infiltrated the Senzaikyu earlier."

"It is. One of them was able to fight on par with Captain Kuchiki before Yoruichi arrived."

"So the rumors are true. And I also heard that Yoruichi is involved as well." Joshiro nodded to the child genius' claim. Acknowledging this, the young captain folded his arms and contemplated. "What the hell is going on here?"

"I do not know. But I do know that the ryouka you were looking for was also present."

Toshiro snapped his head to face the veteran captain. "He was?"

"Indeed. He emits an odd, yet strong spiritual pressure. And his zanpakutos were originally created here." Toshiro's eyes widened after hearing this. What does he mean by this? That he's been stealing swords as well as clothing? Seeing the juvenile's bewilderment, Captain Ukitake felt that he must explain. "Many years ago, an experiment was run in Research and Development whose aim was to create the perfect zanpakuto. One which can be wielded by anyone, including the living. After many dead ends, the R&D lab managed to create these swords."

"The perfect zanpakuto… So what happened?"

"Though the experiment created two successes, the project was quickly shut down. It turns out that those blades have a side-effect of damaging the user's body and mind. Sensing the danger such weapons would cause, the subject was shut down and all data pertaining to its research was erased. Supposedly the swords were disposed of into the oceans of the living world, but it seems they somehow survived and have found a wielder."

"So there's a chance that this ryouka is in possession of these swords." _"And his transforming ability may also be due to those weapons."_

"Yes. I do not know exactly how he came into possession of those zanpakuto, but what I do know is that he is strong. However, the swords' power has been drained over the millennia, meaning they are not at their full potential. In order to return to their full strength, the owner must fight continuously, gaining experience for the swords to grow."

"I see… I appreciate the information," the small captain said as he gave a respectful bow. Continuing down his path, Toshiro now had an idea on what he was dealing with and knew he had to track down this intruder before he gets any stronger.

"Before you leave, Toshiro," Captain Ukitake began, "there is something else I wish to share with you."

"Really?" Toshiro turned around to meet face-to-face with the veteran captain. Just then, he was met with the smiling face of Captain Ukitake holding large bag of candy. "Here you go! It took me a while to get them. I hope you like them," he replied as he pushed the large sack on to the smaller shinigami.

Toshiro tried to keep the sugary sweets away. "Wait, I don't want this!" he cried out.

"Oh nonsense! Take it. It's yours." With the bag finally in Toshiro's possession, the taller whitehead walked passed the confused captain. "Take care! And enjoy your sweets!"

Toshiro's eye brow flinched as he held the full bag of treats. _"Why is it he always does this…"_ he thought.

* * *

With his guise still working, Dante was able to move through the streets with little incident. Though he knew he was an intruder, the black teen was gradually starting to like these shinigami. "You know, for a bunch of dead dudes, these guys aren't so bad," he said as he moved. "Still, if they wanna start something, I'll still have to kick they asses." Reaching into his pocket, Dante pulled out a map he received from one of the shinigami he befriended. "Alright, let's see…" Scanning the map, the young maverick determined that he was in the 12 Division's area. Checking inside of his robe, he also saw the insignia of a thistle. "Well, that takes care of who I am and where I'm at. Now to get back to the hill." With "Dark World - The Legend of Zelda 3: A Link to the Past" from Super Smash Brothers Brawl playing in his ear, Dante trekked forward, moving in the northwest direction. It seemed that he might reach his destination with relative ease.

However, that was before he was sidetracked once more. This time, by a small black lepidopteran which fluttered above his head. It was a Hell's Butterfly, a diminutive insect that was Soul Society's answer to messenger pigeons (or the tele-snails from One Piece). "Oh, pretty," Dante replied as he looked up at the fluttering form. Just then, the bug flew past him. Like a small child, Dante chased after the insect with a sense of curiosity. Little did he know that he was being led away from Sokyoku Hill and to the border between this division and Division 10. "Hey, wait up!" he called. "I ain't gonna hurt you! Hold on!"

About ten minutes passed as Dante chased after his quarry. Following it turn by turn, the black teen was more focused in the small insect than he was trying to find Yoruichi. However, because he was not paying attention to his surroundings, the juvenile's body soon collided with a wall while the insect flew higher to avoid it. This accident had the Hell's Butterfly turn for about a second before quickly losing interest and heading off to deliver its message. Prying himself loose, Dante held his sore nose and gently rubbed it. "Ow, man! That stings!" he replied. "Damn!"

Just then, the sounds of muttering grabbed his attention. "Don't tell me someone saw that." Following the sound, Dante turned a corner and saw five male shinigami surrounding a female shinigami. Examining her, she was about five feet tall (a lot of it being legs) and rather slender. With her purple hair in a long braid on the back with two bangs in front and large green eyes, Dante knew that this was the lieutenant of the 12th Division, Nemu Kurotsuchi. "Hey, it's Nemu," he said to himself. "Damn she's fine. She's like… what's today, Saturday? Yeah, Saturday. That makes her my third favorite female character. Right behind Matsumoto and Yoruichi. Heh heh. Sweet. Wonder what's up over there?" Climbing up the wall, Dante hopped on the next roof and crouched just above the shinigami. Inspecting the group, the black maverick noticed something odd about the low-ranking officers' robes. "Hey wait. Those guys are from the 11th. What are they doin' here?"

"Damn you!" shouted one of them. "It's your fault that my cousin was killed."

"Yeah! And my brother!" hissed another one.

"You said you would do something about your captain and you haven't done shit!" yelled a third.

"I am sorry, but it is all beyond my control," Nemu replied with a melancholy tone. "Perhaps you should see my captain about this issue."

"You can't be serious," replied the first man. "That crazy bastard would use us as test subjects for his sick experiments."

"What we're gonna do is give him a little message of our own," said the third soul reaper as he drew his blade. "And you're gonna deliver it." With their swords drawn, the five men approached the lieutenant. The shinigami, racked with pain, grief, and a desire for revenge were ready to take their frustrations on the young woman. However, Nemu only stood in her place.

"A smart person would just go on with whatever they was doin'. But come on. As a ladies man, I can't just stand around and let a fine woman like her become a pincushion. I do have my morals, you know," Dante said before jumping down between Nemu and the small mob. Both parties turned to the black teen in surprise (though Nemu hid it behind a stoic demeanor). "What it do, punk-asses?" Dante replied to the trespassing shinigami. "Don't you know gangin' up on a woman is a bitch move?"

"What the-!? Who the hell are you? And what are you doing here?" replied one of the shinigami.

"I could ask the same thing? Don't you fools know this is 12th Division turf?"

"Damn it! I thought there was no one here!" a fourth replied.

"Who cares! Let's get him out of the way and finish what we started!"

"If you think you can." Dante then turned to Nemu with a smile. "I'll handle these punks, Number 2! You just sit back and relax." Nemu was perplexed by this young man. She has never encountered this individual before and did not know his motives. Even if this young man had the garb of a Squad 12 shinigami, the vast amount of spiritual energy in him was too high for a mere subordinate. Could this be one of the ryouka she's heard of?

With his swords drawn and "Sinister Sundown" from Kingdom Hearts II playing in his ear, Dante charged into battle. The five soul reapers also went on the attack. With a strong slash, Dante managed to throw one of the foes in the air before leaping up and slamming his swords upon the enemy, causing him to crash hard onto the floor. From behind, one of the shinigami was about to attack, but Dante quickly swung around, his blades moving the opponent away. He then slashed multiple times before kicking him to the ground. "Ha! You just got kicked in yo' chest, foo'!" the black teen taunted. The remaining three men glared at Dante, who spun his zanpakutos casually. "Anyone else want some?" the ryouka asked in a brash tone. Looking at one another, the Squad 11 grunts nodded and rushed at him. Two of the men flanked him, but Dante blocked their swords with his own. However, now restrained, he was at the mercy of the remaining foe coming from the front. Unable to fight back, Dante believed he would be cut down for sure. However, the Squad 11 shinigami was thrown to the side as a sharp kick connected to his body. Dante and the other two shinigami were surprised as the one who attacked was Nemu, who displayed amazing strength with such an attack. However, the black teen took this opportunity and shoved the enemy on his left away before leaping onto the other foe and bouncing off. Stunned, the foe was easy pickings as Dante shouted, "Burst with the fury of the future! Akumu hi Ryuujin!" Before the opponent could react, the diamond-shaped tip of the released scythe shot forward and wrapped around his arm by a strong thin wire. Pulling Dante in, the black teen slash the restrained quarry with the chainsaw-like roof of the blade. With his clothing ripped, the enemy shinigami toppled to the ground in defeat. With a satisfied smile, Dante retracting the wired tip and rested the scythe on his shoulder. _"Haseo ain't the only motherfuckin' terror of death in this bitch,"_ he thought.

Now only one shinigami remained. Turned on his back, his face was plastered in terror as he gazed upon the two warriors hovering above him. The lone soul reaper was speechless. What would Nemu do to him? Kill him right here? Allow this subordinate do the dirty deed? Or worse: have her father experiment on him like a lab rat. The Squad 11 officer closed his eyes as he awaited for his doom. However, what he would hear was something he didn't expect. "Please, return to your squad," Nemu's gentle voice advised. The low-ranking shinigami opened his eyes onto the two warriors. Was he hearing things? "And please contact Squad 4 to treat your comrades."

Returning to his feet, the shinigami looked one last time at Nemu's flat expression. He then turned Dante's scowl and quickly hurried from the scene. "Well that was a good workout," Dante replied as he returned his swords to his back. "Yo, thanks for the help. You cool?" Nemu turned to Dante with another expressionless glance. "I-I mean! Thank you for saving me. Are you okay, Lieutenant Kurotsuchi?" the black teen quickly corrected as he bowed.

Nemu scanned the young teen with an observant eye. She then turned to the zanpakuto's shiki form. Never had she seen such a weapon like this. It's spiritual pressure gradually growing. "Who are you?"

"Me? Well I am Jaque Raphael de la Oicho Gustenburg. Jinsiri Arom Tulse Don Saluc Bob Cheen. But please, call me Dante Blaine."

"As you wish. I do not believe we have met."

"Really? Um… That's because… I just got here!" Dante replied as he figured a logical cover story. "Yeah. I'm the new guy, but I didn't get any chance to report in because of all the ryouka. And I didn't exactly know where to go… So, yeah… That pretty much sums it up."

"I see. I am sorry for the inconvenience. Still, why'd you aide me."

"Oh that? Heh. Well I couldn't let someone like you get hurt. Guess you can say I have some ol' school chivalry in me. Not only that, but those Squad 11 guys ain't even suppose to be here, right?"

"You are correct. However, I feel partially responsible for what happened to their relatives who were killed as a result of my father's ambitions."

"I get it," Dante replied. Silence fell between the two of them for a moment. At this time, Dante couldn't help but admire the woman's beauty. Not just that, he also remembered some similarities between the two, such as being torturous experiments for scientists. Nemu, on the other hand, knew that Dante was a ryouka. Still, she did not wish to harm the youth in any way. And knowing her father, the man would subject the black teen to painful experiments (again). However, if the captain gave the order, Nemu would not have hesitated to have see it fulfilled. Luckily, Mayuri had not issued any such command, meaning the maverick was spared and the lieutenant did not have to see any harm done. At least, for the time being. "Now it's my turn," Dante finally said.

"Yes?" Nemu said.

"Why did you help me back there? You could've just let me get cut."

"As a lieutenant, I felt it was also my responsibility to ensure the well being of my subordinates. At least, that's what I felt anyway. Anyway, I should return to my duties. It was a pleasure to see you, Dante. I hope we meet again," Nemu said with a light smile.

"Heh. Me too," Dante replied with a smirk. Just as Nemu was about to leave, Dante quickly called out, "Wait, hold up a sec." The attractive officer turned around to face the black teen. "Just out of curiousity, you know where we're at?" Dante chuckled with embarrassment as he rubbed the back of his head.

"You are on the border of Squads 10 and 12, Dante," Nemu answered nonchalantly. "Squad 10's headquarters are to the north of here."

"For real? Thanks."

"Also, Dante. Please call me Nemu."

"Okay. Thanks Nemu." After giving a bow, Nemu turned around and left the scene. Dante watched as the attractive woman paced forward, the end of her ponytail swinging subtly from side to side. However, the black teen showed more interest below the hair extension. A perverted smile grew on his face as he slowly turned his head clockwise. _"Man, I would love to tap that…"_ he thought before shaking his head, sealing his blade, and moving in the other direction. Dante then pulled out his map and looked it over. "Going by what Nemu said, I should go Northwest. Sounds easy enough." Acknowledging this fact, Dante continued on toward his destination.

* * *

For about a couple of hours, Dante traversed through the area. The sun was beginning to set as night started to creep in. Knowing his cover would be of little use in different territory, the black teen used his stealth to pass the many 10th Division soul reapers in his path. It seemed his plan was a success. At least it would have been had he not turned a corner and met the two most powerful elements of nature. A pair of features shaped and crafted by the gods themselves. The kryptonite of all men (and as we all know, Dante was far from immune). These were… large breasts. The owner of those mammary wonders was a tall woman with flowing orange hair, a thin figure, and ice blue eyes. Considered by many as a vision of beauty to rival the goddess Aphrodite, this was the well-known, well-endowed lieutenant of Squad 10: Rangiku Matsumoto. For about a minute, the two stared each other down (with Dante trying to show resistance while Matsumoto only stood in bewilderment). _"Must… Resist… Gangsta… Urges… But the power… it's too strong… to ignore..."_

"Is there something wrong?" Matsumoto asked as she cross her arms. However, instead of resting them over her chest, she placed her arms under her large assets, situating her features and exposing a little more skin.

"_Oh well… What's important is that I tried…"_ Dante thought with a shrug as only one word came to mind. "The heavenly treasures! They call me!" Dante pounced forward with a large letcherous smile on his face like a tiger on a deer. It was clear he had temporarily lost his mind (or at least, what was left at that point). However, the black teen's projectory encountered a sudden stop as the lieutenant raised her foot, the outsole of her shoe colliding with Dante's face. "The real sad truth is…" Dante weakly said with his face still pressed against the shoe, "I knew this would happen…" He then slid down to ground, his face now decorated with a red shoe print. Dazed and in pain, the maverick held his face.

Matsumoto looked down at the young man before knelling down. "I haven't seen you here before," she said.

"Well that's because I'm new," Dante replied as he sat up. Thanks to the pain of the collision, the black teen began rubbing his face. "Ow, dammit! If this keeps up, my face'll be looking like Gary Busey! Why do you gotta do that?"

"What? It's not my fault you ran towards me like a pervert," Matsumoto said innocently. "I had to defend myself."

"Not your fault!? Are you kiddin' me!? Everything was cherry before two-thirds of your titties hung like apples off a tree! Who do you think I am? Yumichika?" Dante stood back up, still cradling his face. "Damn, that hurts!"

"How about we start over."

"You mean I get to cop a feel this time?"

The busty blonde only laughed at Dante's comment, waving a hand as she did so. "You're pretty funny, you now that?"

Dante only sighed. "I'm guessing that's a no."

"Anyway, I'm Rangiku Matsumoto, lieutenant of Squad 10. Who are you?"

"I'm Jaque Raphael de la… What was the rest…? Screw it. I'm Dante Blaine, the new guy in Squad 12." The two shook hands and exchanged smiles.

"Squad 12, huh? Pretty interesting. A little advice, you might wanna watch out for your captain."

"I've heard. That mo' fo's buggin'!"

"You have no idea. So, since you're new, I take it you don't know where all the hot spots are."

"Nope. Didn't know you had some."

"Alright, let me show you are."

"Alright. I'm game." Using their flash steps, Rangiku gave Dante the grand tour around the many hangouts inside the soul society such as the Silver Dragonfly Glasses Store and the hot springs retreat. The two had a good time sharing stories about their own adventures and telling the end of the day, the two arrived at one of the local bars near Squad 11.

"So wasn't that fun?" Rangiku asked with a smile.

"Yep. It was pretty cool," Dante replied as he pulled out a pair of sunglasses he recently obtained. They had a red frame with black lenses inside. "Especially when you flirted around with those chumps back there to get these tight shades."

Rangiku turned to the black teen, wearing a pair of lavender glasses with magenta lenses. Peering over her shades and with a mischievous smile, she simply said, "Go on." The blonde-haired woman then turned to the establishment in front of them. "Well, how about we go inside. I have a couple of friends I'd like you to meet. Plus I feel like a drink. You have enough money, right?"

Dante dug into the pockets of the previous owner's robes. Gathering the money, he counted how much currency he had available. "I think I have enough for a round," he said.

"Great. You're buying," Rangiku replied as she headed in. Dante shrugged at the decision. After all, the lady did show him around the area. The least he could do was treat her and her friends to a drink or two (then again, it wasn't like the money was his. So why be stingy?). Dante walked into the bar, which was rather spacious. There were a few other soul reapers inside, but they did not seem too alarmed (either because they were to drunk or didn't care). Standing in the back was a large brown jar, no doubt filled with sake. The black teen turned to a table near a window where Rangiku waved him over. With a smile, Dante walked over to the location. "Hey, Dante. Let me introduce you to a couple of my drinking buddies. This is Shuhei Hisagi, lieutenant of Squad 9."

"Pleasure to meet you," said the man with three scars on his right cheek and a '69' tattooed on his left.

"What it do," Dante replied.

"And this is Captain Shunsui Kyoraku of Squad 8."

"So you're a new face around here, huh?" asked a man with a beard wearing a straw hat and a pink flower robe over his standard captain's haori. "Nice to meet you."

"A captain? Cool," Dante said as he took a seat beside Rangiku.

"Nice to meet a fellow twin swordsman," Shunsui asked as he observed the black teen's zanpakuto. "It's a sign of a unique warrior."

"For real? Thanks. So, what ya'll doing here anyway?"

"Well after everything's that's been happening, I figured it was time to clear my head. At least, until I know what to do next. Rangiku was kind enough to invite me over to join for a drink and I couldn't refuse."

"To tell you the truth, I'm just here to make sure these two don't go over board," Shuhei replied in a brooding posture.

"Yeah right," Rangiku replied. "You wanted to come so you can have some too."

The tattooed lieutenant turned away. After about a second, he scanned his tablemates before saying, "Maybe for a small sip."

The Squad 8 Captain gave a light chuckle. "I thought so," he replied. "So, who's buying today?"

"Actually, Dante is," Rangiku replied as she lightly shook the maverick by his shoulders.

"She's right. I got this. Yo barkeep!" Dante called out. "Bring us a bottle of some sake! We're thirsty!"

"Coming right up!" the barkeep called. Grabbing a full bottle of sake, the bartender walked over to their table, carrying it and a few small shot glasses on a tray. "Will that be all?"

"Yep." Dante replied.

Shunsui poured the alcohol into the small cups and passed them around. "So tell me, Dante. How'd you get here anyway?"

"How did I come here?" the black teen replied.

"Like where did you come from?" He sat silently trying to think of what to say. _"Damn it,"_ he thought. _"Maybe I shouldn't have done this… Maybe I could… Hold on. I got it."_ With a smile on his face, the black teen thought of a good story that might give him time.

"Well…" Dante started. "The day I was finally able to see ghost, my dead brother, who was a hollow at the time, tried to eat me and push some Soulja Boy Tellem tapes on me. To tell you the truth, I rather have been eaten. Less painful. But soon, everything really went down the pipe when my grandpa kicked me out the house just as a bunch of dudes came up and started beating his ass. After I was shot dead for drawing Chappy the Bunny on this one guy's head, I found myself in the slums of Rukongai's 98th District. Then I was thrown in a prison cell before I escaped during a riot started by this one nutjob who was a fan of some ninja chick. That was when my shinigami powers activated and I was finally thrown here in the Academy."

Rangiku and Shuhei stared at the teen with astonishment on their faces. His story was too ridiculous and unbelievable to truly believe. It was too random, jumping from one subject to the next like a connect-a-dots drawing. Shunsui only chuckled. "That's not true," he said. Honestly, the captain was finding Dante's rather entertaining. Aside from the story not making sense, the captain noticed how fast the black was taping his index finger against the table rather fast. "Come on, kid. Tell us the real story."

Dante sighed. "Alright, you got me," the black teen replied with raised hands. "See, what really went down was I was kidnapped years ago and was experimented on for some crazy ass shit. The guys that did it said it would enhance my soul. Oh it was enhanced alright, because I found out that I have shinigami powers. But some accidents were made and they were ready to dispose of me. But yo' boy don't like to play that shit and I took my sweet revenge on those nerd bitches. Guess you can say it was a little tutorial for the bigger game. Soon enough, I was sent here where I became a true blue soul reaper." This time, Dante's explanation was a bit more truthful. Of course, he made sure to not divulge in the actual details.

However, the three shinigami were still a little unsure. The whole prospect of making shinigami in the real world was not exactly sitting well with them. However, Shunsui surprisingly seemed to accept this fact as he noticed Dante's spirit energy was rather high. Also, Dante seemed to be more calm and still as he spoke. With folded arms, the experienced soul reaper gave a light nod, accepting this truth. "Well, I see this may be the truth. Sorry to hear what happened to you back in your old life."

"Oh, you know… There's nothing I could do about it now… So…" Dante held his head down as he wondered if there was really something that could have been done. For about a minute, the table was rather silent. "But it ain't all bad. After all, I did get here and meet you guys, right?" Hearing this, Rangiku smiled as Shuhei gave a nonchalant smirk. "Not only that, we got a bottle of sake standing right there."

"So why aren't we drinking this already?" Rangiku said enthusiastically. With their cups in hand, the four held drinks up high. "A toast to new drinking buddies and new stories!"

"And a toast to my new peeps and da Soul Society! 'Cause we run this shit!" Dante added. Tapping their cups together, the four took a gulped their drinks. As soon as it went down, Dante was beginning to feel a loss of balance. Though it had a sweet, delicious taste, it was still quite strong. "Mmm. Man, this stuff is pretty strong. Hennessy ain't got nothin' on this."

"Yeah," Rangiku said. "Up for another?"

"Oh yeah!" The four drank their bottle, talking about many different topics as their inebriation progressed. Dante even sung the old Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles theme (albeit with some inaudible slurring). They also cheered on everything that came to mind. Thirty minutes passed and their sake bottle was at the half way point.

"Man, this is good stuff," Shuhei said as he head rested up against the wall.

"You said it," Rangiku agreed as her head leaned back against the seat.

"Hey, man! Hey, man!" Dante replied as he swung his arm ahead, grabbing the attention of a drunk Shunsui whose head was drooped. "Let me tell you something… Christian Bale wasn't pissed because of his cast crew messing up… He was mad because he found a clip of me and his wife fuckin' in Latveria with Dr. Doom as the cameraman and Ivy Valentine as the third wheel!"

"Oh man! You are too crazy!" the captain replied as the two tapped their glasses and gulped the contents inside. The two placed the glasses on the table's surface and exhaled with content and satisfaction. "Hey, Dante…" Shunsui whispered. "What do you think… of Shuhei's tattoo…"

Turning to the lieutenant, Dante inspected the '69' inked on his cheek. Looking at it, he couldn't help but smile. "Guess he's a big fan of the skill, my man." Once more, the captain started chuckling.

A buzzed Shuhei turned to the duo, puzzled by the two's behavior. "What are you all laughing at?" he asked.

"Nothin'," replied the maverick and easy-going shinigami.

Rangiku turned to the window. Darkness and a full white moon now decorated the nightly sky. She couldn't help but admire the picture. The beautiful blonde smiled gently as she turned to Dante, whose cheeks were as red as hers, before taking another swig from her cup. Another thirty minutes passed and the table was covered in small cups and half eaten plates. Moans and groans echoed between the four hammered swordfighters. "Hey Dante…" Shuhei called.

"What it do, 69?" Dante answered, trying hard to hold his head up.

"What do you think we are? You know... On a grander scale?"

"Man, that's tough... For all we know... we could be some make believe people... thought up by some guy in another dimension... Hell, for all we know... I could be just some obsure character... made up by some bored dude... whose watched too much t.v."

"No way..." Rangiku said in an inebriated disbelief. "That's just wierd..."

"But pretty deep..." Shuhei replied before his head hit the table.

"Well, time for you to leave," said the barkeeper who walked over to the table. He scanned the patrons, whose faces were red as cherries. "This place is about to close."

"What? But I was having fun!" Rangiku whined.

"Yeah! Can't we stay for a little longer?" Dante added.

"Go on, get," the proprietor said. "You guys are hammered. Sleep it off and come back tomorrow."

Dante sighed. The next day, everything would return to being Dante running from these guys. _"Oh well... at least I had a rare treat... A good sake for a good day,"_ he thought with a drunken smile. Hearing that their fun in the bar was over, Dante, Rangiku, Shunsui, and Shuhei left their seats and started walking out of the establishment. Of course, due to their intoxicated state, the four had a hard time walking straight. Still they managed to find the exit just as the lights inside went off.

"That was a great time," Shunsui said.

"Oh yeah! That sake was great!" replied Rangiku as she stretched her arms above her head. "Well, I think we'll just call it a night."

"Yeah, you're right," Shuhei agreed. "See you all tomorrow."

"You, too."

"Later, Dante," Captain Shunsui replied. "Hope to hear another story from you later."

"Same here, Captain Pimp!"

"Captain Pimp...? Hm… I think I like it. Well, see ya."

"Later!" Saying their good-byes, Shuhei and Shunsui left the scene using their shunpo ability. Dante couldn't help but wonder what would happen when the captain returned to Squad 8 headquarters. A mental picture of a book holding Nanao waiting for a drunk Kyoraku, who returns and decides that everyone should call him 'Captain Pimp.' Only for that order to be quickly cancelled by a sailing hardcover landing in his face. Visualizing this, the black teen snickered to himself with in a message in his mind saying _"He's so screwed…"_

"Let me guess," Rangiku said. "You were thinking about what would happen when the captain returns."

Dante gasped. "You're a mind reader!? Yo, that's so friggin' awesome!"

"Well, we better get going," Rangiku replied as she was about to leave.

Just then, a few loud blasts caught the duo's ears. The two turned to the south direction in shock. "What was that?"

"Quick! Up there!" Rangiku ordered as she leaped on top of the bar's roof. Dante followed close behind. Off in a distance, smoke started floating into the sky. Then another blast erupted, followed by a loud scream. Judging from the location, it was coming from the middle of the 12th Division. "What do you think is going on over there?" the blonde asked.

Dante stood quietly with a stern face as he knew the exact cause. _"Looks like Uryu's going up against that crazy prof, Mayuri,"_ he thought. Thinking about the mad scientist sent a shiver down his spine. The captain-level shinigami reminded him of the Joker: a clown-like psychopath hiding a malevolent genius and an intimate knowledge of toxins. It also reminded him of his bitter detestment of clowns. _"I would love to get me a piece of that bastard…"_

"Let's get over there and-" Before Rangiku could finish, something else caught the attention of the two warriors, this time in the opposite direction. This time, it was a sudden release of spiritual energy grabbing their attention, followed by a slight chill in the air. Captain-level as a matter of fact. Not only that, but there were two of these releases. Such a surge was enough to sober up the two fighters. Lieutenant Matsumoto knew exactly who these were and stood still astonishment. "It's Captain Ichimaru… and Captain Hitsugaya…" she said with astonishment.

"Somethin's goin' down," Dante replied.

"I have to go to my captain. You'll be okay, right?" Rangiku asked with concern to the younger individual.

Dante nodded. "'Course I will!" he replied confidently. "I'll holla at you later."

"Just stay alive," Rangiku replied. Flash stepping in opposite directions, Dante and Rangiku hurried to their destinations at high speeds. With his hands on the collar of his robe, the black teen pulled it off. Now in his normal attire and his swords drawn, the maverick was ready for battle.

* * *

Author's Note 1: In the next chapter, Dante teams up with Uryu Ishida once more in a double team fight to the finish against the Kurotsuchis. Has the black teen and Quincy genius biten off more than they can chew? Will Dante's hatred of clowns and scientists be his downfall? Keep reading and find out!


	11. Chapter 10

Ch. 10

Leaping from roof to roof, Dante raced to the location as fast as his legs could take him. The spiritual pressure he tracked was becoming stronger with each step and a strange, putrid stench began to fill the air. His heart was now racing with anticipation as the hairs on the back of his neck were standing on ends. Just then the black warrior sensed a sudden burst in spiritual energy and saw a web of reiraku forming just a few blocks away. "Hey, I know that light… It's Uryu's little puppet technique," Dante said as he examined the trail of spirit particles. "That means the battle's about to really begin. Can't be late for this shit! After all, I want a piece of Clownface, too!"

Pulling up his hood and following the light, Dante arrived on a nearby rooftop where two figures in white stood poised for battle. On one side was the normally cool-headed soul archer with a marksman's aim, Uryu Ishida. Standing on the other side was perhaps the most cold-hearted, as well as oddest shinigami in the entire Court of the Thirteen Squads. With a face covered in black and white makeup, an odd forked hat adorning his head turned to the right and a captain's white haori, this was none other than the leader of the 12th Division and head of the Shinigami Research and Development Institute: Mayuri Kurotsuchi. Arming his left hand was the Soul Reaper's zanpakuto already in shiki its phase. With three long blades rising from the center which looked like a baby's head and a deadly toxic gas floating from the sword, it was Ashisogi Jizo.

At the moment, the captain stood with an examining eye, unsure as to what was going on. After all, the Quincy was just delivered a direct strike from his sword, whose poison had just paralyzed him. However, that was then. Now Uryu was now standing and ready to go against the captain. Then it occurred to Mayuri what may be going on. "I get what this is… Ransotengai..." he said rather impressed. "A technique involving the use of countless spirit particle threads and attaching them to immobile limbs to force them to move. Such an ability was invented by the Quincy elders in order for them to combat hollows in their decrepit old bodies. Broken bones or torn flesh are akin to minor cuts for those who are skilled, allowing a Quincy to continue battle until their bodies turn to dust."

Dante couldn't help but whistle at the explanation as he turned to Uryu. "For a geek, this foo's pretty hardcore," he said as he examined the Quincy. "That Pinocchio trick ain't too bad."

"For a long time, I thought this was a lost art. Forgotten by time and only found it historical texts. Yet here you are, the one Quincy, out of thousands I've dissected, who have learned Ransotengai. And at such a young age to boot. Someone so gifted... you may be a genius."

"A genius? Such generics don't even scratch the surface on description. For me, Ransotengai isn't just a defensive ability. Even if I'm reduced to a corpse, until I avenge my master, it's a symbol of my will to fight!"

Hearing this, Mayuri only sighed. "I'll retract the word genius. It would be more suiting if I call you a neophyte with a biting conscious."

"Fuck you, ya Joker-lookin' son of a bitch!" shouted Dante from the nearby rooftop. Both Uryu and Mayuri looked to the black teen. As the young warrior glared death at the pied shinigami, the scientist only turned to him, slightly annoyed.

"Oh dear. Another one," the captain said in an annoyed tone.

"Dante! What are you doing here!?" Uryu asked in surprise from the hooden teen's sudden appearance. "The last I saw you was a few days ago when you helped us fight off that large shinigami."

The black teen smirked. "Well I just happened to be in the hood and couldn't help but sense all the soul power going off all over this bitch," the black teen explained. Hopping down from his perch, Dante walked next to the Quincy, his blades spinning from his sides. "So where's my favorite busty-bodied cherry-haired star princess?" he asked.

"I had her leave the area," the Quincy responded. "I did not wish for Orihime to take part in this battle. After all, someone like her is not meant to be on the field of combat."

"Okay, I get that," Dante said. He then turned to the captain and went into a battle position. "But lucky for you, I am. So, we gonna take this foo' or what?"

"_We're_ not doing anything," Uryu replied. "Only I am fighting this man."

"What!?" Dante replied with a dumbfounded expression. "Why should I let you have all the fun?"

"Because this fight is between me and him," Uryu said, still keeping his piercing gaze upon the captain. "It's a personal issue that will get resolved tonight at this moment."

"Oh come on!" Dante replied. A thought then popped into his head as he remembered the main focus on this battle. "I get it. You gonna go all Batman on the doc here for what happened to your gramps, huh?" Uryu turned to Dante, his eyes narrowing at him in response. It didn't take the black teen long to figure out such a personal matter was not meant to be public knowledge. "Yo, easy son! I couldn't help but overhear it," he replied while holding his hands up submissively to the archer. "But I get where you're coming from."

"Do you really? Have you ever felt the pain of loosing someone close to you? Someone you loved? Do you actually have any idea what it's like?"

Dante stood silent as he tried once more to remember his past. However, the only images he could recollect were of a home set ablaze and the experiments he endured. Acknowledging this, the black teen couldn't help but sigh. "You can say I've had that experience," Dante finally answered. Uryu was somewhat surprised by this. "Yo, let me in on this. In a way, I'm getting a piece of payback, too."

"What are you talking about?"

"It's because of these things, stuff's been fucked up. And last I checked, they came from here. It's possible the fool who threw these in my world and had those lab rats stick them to me is still here in the Seireitei."

"Really now," Mayuri spoke. Both ryouka turned their attention back to the mad scientist. Hearing Dante's announcement peeked the shinigami's interest. "Tell me, what are the names of your swords?" he asked cooly with a smile on his face.

Dante scowled at the captain, hesitant to do so. However, knowing he might gain more insight, the young maverick decided to appease the good doctor. "…Akumu hi Ryuujin and Kowa ro Shii Maru."

"Ah yes, I remember now. Those two blades were a couple of my finest creations. It's been so long, I've nearly forgot about them."

"Creations…? So you're the one who made these?" Dante asked in a mix of surprise and skepticism.

"Quite right. And I guess that would make you the Deinonychus who's been rampaging through the districts." Dante pulled down his hood and glared at Mayuri, his grip tightening on his weapons. "I hope you've been having fun with those blades. I've spent many years perfecting their combat abilities. The soul energy required to sustain such weapons was immense, you know? But now look at them: even basal sealed states, I can tell that their structures have regressed quite a bit. I guess I should not be surprised due to the lower concentrations of spirit particles found in the World of the Living. Still, it is good to see that they still functioning. After all, there aren't a few living beings with the abilities of a Soul Reaper. An interesting subject wouldn't you agree? This may be an opportunity to conduct my research on such a being. Unless my theory is correct about the other rogue shinigami the two of you are in cahoots with."

"So you're the one behind these things…?" Dante asked as his head tilted low. "Then tell it to me straight... Were you also the fool who hired those scientists in the other world… The ones that kidnapped me to be some weapon…?"

"Dante…" Uryu called as he watched the teen's rage rise with his spiritual energy.

"Don't jump to conclusions, kid," Mayuri replied. "However you may have come into possession of those zanpakutos, my involvement in that was nonexistent." Dante stood still as he glared at the Soul Reaper with a hateful gaze. "Be assured this: If it were me, you would have been an open autopsy by now."

"_Is he for real?"_ Dante thought. _"Did all he did was make the swords? No way! If he could kill off the Quincies like a flyswatter does with flies, hiring those scientists on my ass would be like a cakewalk."_

"So now, how would you like to join me in my research lab? A specimen as unique as you would prove to be invaluable."

"Screw you," Dante replied with narrowed eyes as he got into a fighting position. "Let me share something with you. Over the years, I've developed a real hatred for two things: clowns and scientists. Looking at your right now and hearing you're voice that sounds like someone scratching a chalkboard and a sick parrot combined, I have the uncontrollable urge to give you a wedgie so big and tight that it will yank that make-up right off yo' face. Then slice you all up into tiny shreds, dance over your grave, and piss on your tombstone."

"Oh? That's some big talk for such an unstable worm," Mayuri said, undeterred by the spiritual pressure and killer intent by the black teen. "To be honest, I'm not at all impressed on how you try and overcompensate for your weak abilities."

"Overcompensating?" Dante replied, feeling insulted by the remark before turning to Uryu. "Did this motherfucker just say _I_ was overcompensating!?"

"Um… I believe he did," the Quincy answered as he summoned his bow. "Don't let this man get to you, Dante. He's trying to mess around with your head."

"Oh you don't have to tell me, man," Dante replied. "'Cause unlike Ronald McDonald over here, I don't need to go all Frankenstein if I wanted a kid!"

"What are saying over there?" Mayuri replied.

"You heard me, chump! I bet you never got it up and in a woman. I bet a New Jersey hooker would pay _you_ off just to get out of her face. Hell, not even Madonna would want to touch your mime looking ass. And she's fucked Dennis Rodman and Vanilla Ice! I'm bettin' you pop a pill just to get a good jerk, huh?"

Uryu was stunned by Dante's dialogue. Never has he heard someone ever talk so much smack. Especially to someone as strong as a captain-level shinigami. The Quincy turned to Mayuri.

The pied death god was infuriated by the insults as his left eye's lower lid quivered. Only a few people, such as Kenpachi Zaraki for example, could actually succeed in getting under his skin. However, this young upstart, who used weapons crafted from his very hands, was now on the top of his list. "You dare speak to me in such a way, you beligerent hoodlum!?" yelled Mayuri with animosity. "So be it. I was going to capture you with as minimal damage to your body as possible, just as I was with your Quincy friend. However, I'm sure you'll be just as useful with a few of your vital organs damaged. Or at the very least, unable to move your jaws and that silver tongue of yours."

"Yeah, like that's gonna happen," Dante replied. "But here's the thing: There's no way in the 36 chambers of Shaolin that our asses is gonna loose to a painted freak like you!"

"Using less candor, I also agree," Uryu added. "You will atone for what you have done to my people… To my grandfather… I'll make sure you will pay! "

"You two are going to make this really difficult," Mayuri replied as he grabbed the end of the cone like projection on the left side of his head. At the end of this muscule-made rope was the sickle-shaped blade of a kusarigama. He spun the blade at a leisurely speed, examining his two targets. Now he had a sword held in his right hand and a chain weapon in his left.

"Oh yeah! It's peanut butter jelly time, you Frankenstein motherfucka!" Dante shouted as he set his I-Pod to "Hate Me Now" by Nas and P. Diddy. "Stick a needle up yo' punk ass and call me Barry Bonds 'cause I got the Nasty Nas up in this bitch and a the goddamn baseball bats!" Quickly, Captain Mayuri tossed his weapon forward, but missed as the two evaded by going in different directions. Using Hirenkyaku to move quickly, Uryu appeared just above the shinigami, aiming his bow and ready to fire. The enemy quickly turned his attention to the Quincy and flung his weapon, only for the target dodge the attack once more. From behind, Dante fired his laser streams at the scientist. However, Dante's attack were reflected and he became a target for the sickle. Quickly, the black teen jumped in the air, avoiding the strike, and launched another round of lasers at the opponent. However, the strikes were ineffective once more and Mayuri countered again with his ranged weapon. Dante had no choice but to block the attack. Once he returned to the ground, the maverick regrouped to Uryu's location.

"We're getting nowhere by using far ranged tactics," the Quincy said just before dodging another strike. "Our attacks are only getting bounced off. One of us has to get in close while the other distracts him."

"If you want a head-to-head, then I'm yo' boy!" Dante replied. "Burst with the fury of the future! Akumu hi Ryuujin!" With his scythe released, Dante stood in a battle ready position as Uryu targeted an arrow to Captain Kurosuchi. "You do that mojo that you do so well, Quincy Boy. I got that fool!"

"So this is your zanpakuto's current shiki state," Mayuri said. "You have mastered a few of its attacks. However, your weapon is still not at it full power. Still, it is good to see one of my successful creations. Too bad it and its brother fell in the hands of a beligerent hoodlum."

"Shut your damn mouth, you make-up wearing freak!" Dante shouted. "I never asked to carry these blades and I never had the choice. But still, these zanpakutos and I have become strong from all the shit we've been through. I've used these weapons to get my revenge." He then turned to scientist with a deadly glare, his red eyes locked onto him. "And I won't stop until that business is taken care of."

"My, what resolve. You seem to be very motivated in your vendetta. Too bad your journey will soundly end here, boy!" The captain spun his kusarigama by his side, ready to attack.

"Rush 'im!" Dante shouted as he and Uryu used their speed. Uryu fired his arrows at the captain in rapid succession. Mayuri quickly blocked and flung his roped weapon at the Quincy, who quickly evaded the attack. With his comrade distracting the target, Dante charged forward, his scythe's chainsaw roof buzzing as he approached. Mayuri noticed this and tried his best to strike the foe. However, apart from Dante evading from side to side, Uryu was also occupying him with overhead arrows. Overwhelmed, Dante was able to get in range and slashed down upon the scientist. However, Mayuri blocked the strike with Ashisogi Jizo and used his strength to hold back Akumu hi Ryuujin's blade, which loomed over his head a few inches away.

After being locked for a couple of minutes, Mayuri shoved Dante back and tossed his small sickle to the teen. Quickly, the young warrior repelled the small weapon back with the scythe's pole before Uryu fired a quick round of spirit arrows. He managed to land a few good hits, though most were evaded by the captain. The shinigami flung his kusarigama to the Quincy, who backed out of its reach. Seeing this opportunity, Dante shunpoed to the Death God and slashed. Quickly, Mayuri dodged to the left and the two parried blows with their zanpakutos. Uryu tried to target the enemy, but Mayuri was moving too fast and his ally kept getting in the line of fire. Soon, Dante managed to find an opening and slashed Captain Kurotsuchi's arm. Mayuri stepped back, momentarily accessing the damage the two combatants delivered before tossing his sickle at the scythe-carrier with tremendous force. Dante was pushed back a few feet by the small weapon, while in a blocking stance. The scientist struck again, but before the weapon could arrive at its destination, Uryu shot the kusarigama's cord, causing the weapon to fly pass Dante.

"Argh!" Mayuri yelled as he held the left side of his head in pain. "Damn you, Quincy!" he snarled as he turned to the archer.

"Man, yo' ear's gotta be ringin' like a bitch right now!" Dante replied.

"Grrr… I'm not done with you yet!" Mayuri replied. He tossed his sword to his other arm before pulling on the cone on the right side of his head to produce another kusarigama.

"Hooks in the ears, regrowing limbs, and more make-up than all the performers of Cirque du Soleil. Shit, even Michael Jackson stopped after his fiftieth nose job." Dante thought loudly just as Mayuri tossed his new weapon at the black teen. Uryu shot a soul arrow from behind, but his attack was deflected by the scientist's zanpakuto just as he struck again at the black teen. Dante managed to avoid the initial attack, but as the sickle returned, it managed to cut his right shoulder. The black teen cringed at the strike and now found himself dependant on his left arm. Unlike Mayuri, who was obviously ambidextrous, Dante's main hand to control his large weapon was his right. Outclassed, his only method of survival was to go on the defensive. After a few minutes of blocking and evading, the black teen found himself on the ground, his body cut by the numerous long-ranged blows. Before Mayuri could attack again, a soul arrow from Uryu landed a hit on the foe's back. Now the captain's attention was turned to the Quincy, leaving Dante to gather his bearings.

Dante sat back up and began catching his breath. Tearing off one of his sleeves, the maverick wrapped the ripped piece of cloth over his shoulder. He then turned to the left and saw the body of a female Soul Reaper lying in the shadows. Dante quickly crawled to the form and checked for a pulse. Though it was shallow, it still indicated that she was still alive. He turned her over on her back and found himself face to face again with Nemu. Apparently, she had sustained some damaged prior to Dante's arrival. "Yo, Nemu!" Dante replied as he shook her lightly. "Hey, wake up!"

In about a moment, the young woman's purple eyes began to open. At first, her sight was too blurry to make out any object, but once her vision was adjusted, she saw the face of the young ryouka. "Hello, there…" she said weakly. "Mr. Dante was it…? Why are you here…? It's too dangerous…"

"Stuff was going down and I wanted to check it out," the black teen answered. "Looks like my boy met yo' pops."

"Dante, you must leave… My father…"

"Yeah, I know all about your daddy. But I can't just leave Glasses behind. Besides, it's not like I could even if I wanted to." Dante slowly picked himself up, his body weakened from all the energy he used. He ripped off the sleeves of his shirt to wrap around the cuts on his arms. "I haven't used this before, so let's see…" Gathering spirit energy, Dante used a new technique known as Healing Wing. With his body glowing a faint white, the black teen managed to regain some health and close some of the minor cuts. "That should give me some time."

"Dante, be careful... If you get cut by my father's zanpakuto… you will become paralyzed…"

Dante smiled. "Don't worry 'bout me. I'll get him."

Just then, a bright light illuminated the street. Dante and Nemu turned forward at the spectacle, stunned by the pillar which had engulfed Uryu. His spiritual pressure was tipping the scales and increasing by the second. "What did he do!?" Mayuri replied with shock. "What's going on!?" Just then, the pillar dispersed, revealing Uryu in a new outfit, with a long sarong covering his right leg and a short white vest on his chest. Adorning his right shoulder was a large wing-shaped appendage made entirely of spiritual energy. "His outfit had just changed! But how!? And where did all of this immense spiritual pressure come from." Just then, nearby objects nearby such as roofs and walls began to break down into spiritual particles and were being absorbed into the wing, steadily increasing his power. Mayuri was now somewhat intimidated and amazed at the same time by the display. Then a large, cocky smile grew on the scientist's face. "You have gone beyond the limit humans can handle, neophyte!" Using the added reishi, Uryu formed a new bow in his hand. Seeing this, Captain Kurotsuchi quickly leaped back, hoping to avoid the strike. The initial shot missed him, giving Mayuri some relief. However, that was before the Quincy appeared just above him. Unable to respond in time, the Soul Reaper was shot down to the ground. Upon impact, the ground started to shake as clouds of dust swept along the ground.

Dante crouched down and covered his face, shielding it from the debris that flew by as he tried to remain in one spot. _"Damn! Uryu means business now!"_ he thought. _"That speed and power is higher than mine or Ichigo's right now!"_ Using his shunpo, Dante stood by his comrade, an astonished expression on his face. Uryu turned to Dante, awaiting for any response. After a moment, Dante finally said with excitement, "Damn man, that shit you pulled was crazy! You's a bad-ass mo' fo'! Man, that punk-ass thought he would bounce! Then the next thing he knew, the foo' got capped! KABOOM! In that bitch's face!"

"Thank you… I think…" Uryu said, unsure of what his ally entirely said. He then turned to the smoke-filled cloud with a stern look on his face. "Beg for mercy now and I just might let you live. Provided you leave and never show yourself again. Refuse and my next arrow will deal the killing blow."

"Yeah, that's right! Cry like a bitch and go suck a dick!" Dante added.

The smoke started to clear, revealing a gravely wounded Kurotsuchi. The Quincy's attack managed to sever his left arm. Hearing the young combatants' warnings, something in Mayuri snapped. "Don't get carried away!" he shouted as he returned upright, trying to maintain his balance. It was apparent that this Soul Reaper, even with his handicap, still wanted to fight as he held his zanpakuto tightly in his right hand.

"Holy shit! This fool's still alive!" Dante replied. "Either this motherfucker T-Ray's uncle or one of the zombie rejects from Thriller!?"

"It's unnerving that a Quincy taunts me. But a fake Soul Reaper is something else."

"Fake? Who's Jigsaw over there calling fake?" the black teen replied as he stepped forward. "Bitch, don't make me go over there and pimpsmack yo' ass so hard yo' other arm pops out!"

"Shut up, you damn hoodlum!" Mayuri yelled. "If you two want to fight me like that, then I shall return the favor with equal power!" The captain started to cackle sinisterly.

"Oh shit…" Dante said to his comrade as the two readied themselves for whatever surprise the good doctor had in store. "Somethin's comin'. Brace yourself."

With Ashisogi Jizo released the enemy whispered one word: "Bankai." With Mayuri's spiritual pressure increasing and a crimson aura enveloping his body, the soul reaper's sword began to metamorphize into a large beast. Both Dante and Uryu watched in horror as the sword went into its final release. In a few moments, the a large creature towered before them. It had a large golden head shaped like a human baby's with thick front arms, and a massive silver halo above its cranium along with a red cape. Two-thirds of its body was shaped similarly to a large caterpillar. As it breathed, purple smoke started to blow from its mouth like a giant dragon. "Behold! Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo!"

"God damn! That's one long ass name for one ugly ass baby!" Dante replied. "And I thought the ones floating in tubes were creepy."

"How is this possible?" Uryu replied. "I thought zanpakuto only had one released stage."

Mayuri laughed at the Quincy's theory. "You didn't know!?" he replied. "All zanpakuto have two release states. Ashisogi Jizo was only the first stage, known as the shiki. Its second stage, Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo, is the bankai. It's poison gas shall cause your painful deaths in minutes!" With its cheeks filled, Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo released a stream of noxious toxins toward both targets. All Dante and Uryu could do was cover their faces in a futile attempt to shield themselves from the poison. "How pitiful. It's too bad that I won't be able to conduct any research on you two after all."

"Oh, so you wanna play some child shit? I'm game! Let's play!" After gathering spirit energy for his next action and turning his I-Pod to "Devil Within" from Tekken 5, Dante used Akumu hi Ryuujin's ability to transform into his Mare Embryo form. The nightmare dragon hovered above the Quincy and screeched at the Soul Reaper, stretching its muscular legs and wings in the air. Uryu was stunned by the sudden shapeshift. Especially since this beast was just as unattractive as the enemy's bankai.

Captain Kurotsuchi, on the other hand, only stared at the bio-engineered creature nonchalantly before giving a humorous smiling. "Do you really think that will save you!? Your transformation might boost your strength, but it is only an extension of your shiki, hoodlum. You're outclassed by someone like me, who has mastered true bankai!"

"Oh we'll see, bitch!" Dante growled.

"Attack!" Upon command, a number of sharp spikes appeared through Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo's underbelly before the creature charged forward, hoping to skewer the two opponents. With Uryu charging his next attack, Dante flew forward and fired his laser blasts at the beast. The balls of light hit the enemy dead in the face, but did not seem to stop the rampage. Once in range, Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo raised its body up, ready to stab the dragon. However, Dante quickly pulled up and went for the bankai's face. It slashed and bit at the bankai beast with all its might, leaving only a few scratches before he was shook off and sent spinning off to the side. Regaining his balance, the white dragonmare used an attack known as Hunting Scythe, firing a green blade of energy toward the foe. It slashed the foe in the side of its head, catching the grotesque insect's attention. Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo released a stream of poison in the air, but the Mare Embryo's maneuverability helped in evading the attacks before it fired another round of lasers. Seeing the dragon as a mere nuisance, the bankai beast continued advancing toward Uryu like a rampaging train.

The young Quincy managed to gathered enough spirit energy to deal the final strike and was waiting to fire. Closing in, the creature opened its mouth, ready to devour the Quincy. Then, at the last second, Uryu released his arrow, which tore right through the ghastly being's forehead and sped down the road and kicking up a cloud of dust. Still laying in her corner, Nemu turned her attention to her captain and creator with concern. "Master…?" she called with worry. Once the smokescreen subsided, Mayuri Kurotsuchi stood with speechlessly. The arrow ripped through his midsection as his blood covered parts of his head. His bankai, which was still and silent, split in two, both halves fell to the side, crushing nearby buildings as they landed.

Landing behind the tired Quincy, Dante reverted to his human form and surveyed the area. Whistling, he thought to himself, _"Damn… I don't envy the chump that's got to clean this shit up…"_

Glaring at Uryu with fueled hatred and evil intent, Mayuri shouted with all of his might, "Damn you, you Quincy bastard!" as he raised his sword and stabbed his broken zanpakuto straight through his neck. Dante and Uryu were shocked and flabbergasted by the suicidal attack. Coughing up blood one last time, the shinigami seemingly exploded into green slime, his remaining form melting to the ground.

"Ewww!" Dante replied. "That's just nasty!"

"That was too close, Quincy!" Mayuri's voice called out, surprising Uryu as he watched the contents seep. "One should always use their last ace when the need arises."

"I should've known better!" Uryu replied. "It's an escape tactic!" Acknowledging this, the Quincy activated his power, hoping to finish off the shinigami with another shot.

"Don't even bother trying, Quincy," Mayuri replied as his liquid state began to gather in one location. "In this state, I am unable to attack. However, that also means you cannot harm me either. In a few days, I will reconstruct my original form. So until then, I will return to my base and treat my injuries."

"Oh no you don't!" Dante said as he tried to catch up with the vagrant slime which was seeping through the cracks of a nearby building.

"As for you, mock Soul Reaper. I see that my weapons have been in service after all this time. As a scientist, it's always good to see that the products of my genius are being put to use instead of being tossed aside. Still, there are some secrets which you still have yet to understand."

"Hey, get back over here! I ain't done wit' you-!" before Dante could finish, the black teen doubled over coughing up blood.

"Farewell. Though this encounter did not turn out the way I had expected, the end result still stands. I will continue to live and you shall die." With the last of Mayuri escaping through the cracks, Uryu also knelt down and coughed blood.

"Mr. Quincy… Mr. Dante…" Nemu weakly called. "I possess the antidote… It's behind the emblem on my left arm… However I only have enough to treat one person."

Both Dante and Uryu exchanged glances. "Just one vial…" Uryu said. "You should take it. It's because of your help that I defeated Captain Kurotsuchi."

"Naw man!" Dante said with mock flattery. "You could've whooped him by yourself. I was just here for… added support. You take it."

"Are you sure?"

"Heh. I'll be cool. 'Sides, what would Ichigo say if you went down cause of a little purple gas?" Uryu could only picture the reaction the substitute soul reaper would have. Dying in such a way would have been pitiful. The Quincy nodded in agreement as the two returned their weapons to their holds and walked over to the lieutenant.

Dante helped her sit against the wall as he and Uryu knelt down to the ground. "Would you be more comfortable lying down," Uryu asked.

Nemu shook her head. "No thanks… Now please hurry." Uryu loosened the badge and took the medicine from its hiding place. It was inside a small brown bottle sealed by a cork.

"You sure you don't want some?" Dante asked. "You're not looking too good either."

"No, I'll be fine... This body of mine is made from the same substance as the captain's…"

"So that's why you're dad and daughter…"

"This poison has no effect on me… due to my composition…" Uryu glanced at medicine with some reservations in mind. "You seem to be hesitant… Do you believe it is poisoned? If you like, place some on my lips and I'll test it for you."

"No, I believe you," Uryu said. "After all, is there any reason to poison someone who is dying?"

"It would be if you were Bush," Dante quipped. Both Uryu and Nemu glanced at the black teen. Dante gave a sheepish laugh. "Sorry. Couldn't resist."

Taking one last look at the vile, the Quincy popped the cork. Before he could place the remedy to his lips, Nemu spoke once more saying, "Thank you for showing my captain mercy… If you had aimed for the head, he would surely have been killed… However, you chose to let him live."

"Don't thank me," Uryu said as he stood up. "I intended to kill him but I just missed."

"It's not all yours," Dante said. "If I had cleaved his head or go dragon sooner, he wouldn't have bugged."

Nemu looked up at the two and was rather surprised. However, she only smiled, nonetheless thankful that her captain had still survived. "Even so, I am glad that he is still alive and that antidote is still a token of my gratitude."

"You know, I don't get it," Dante said. "Here you is on the ground sliced open while your cap left you. Why do you care for that punk."

"To tell you the truth, it's hard to explain. Still, when I saw that Master Mayuri was still alive, I felt so relieved." Silence befell the three battle scarred warriors for a quick minute. "You should hurry up and drink that antidote. After my captain's release, there will be troops arriving soon."

Uryu looked at the bottle one last time before turning to Dante to see if he changed his mind. Dante smirked and bobbed his head up. Hesitantly, the Quincy drank the contents of the vial and placed the empty bottle to the ground. "Thank you for the antidote," Uryu said. "Farewell. And Dante, thank you for your assistance. I hope you get well soon and find the answers you're looking for."

"You too, Quincy Adams," Dante said. With a light nod the Quincy left the scene. "Well, there he goes." The black teen rested his head on the surface of the wall, a small sigh escaping his lips.

"Do you have any regrets?" Nemu asked. "You could have taken the antidote and saved yourself. Yet you risked your well being for your comrade."

"True, but that kid's got a future. He one of the main heroes who might save this joint. As for me? I'm here by accident. Still I got no regrets. I had some fun, got to meet some peeps, messed up a few fools, became relatively strong, and met one fine hunny." Nemu glanced at Dante with a quixotic glance. Dante noticed this and asked with a risen brow, "You okay?"

"Yes, I'll be fine. Mr. Dante, can you still move?"

"Yep. Why?"

"I believe I might have a solution… There is another antidote ready. But you must go to the Shinigami Research and Development Institute. If you procure it in time, you might be able to save yourself." Dante examined her form, noticing her curves, but mostly wondering whether he should take the soul reaper's advice. Nemu saw this and said, "I understand if you believe it is a trap and do not blame you for your unwillingness."

The black teen sighed. "Well what are we waiting for? Which way's the Institute?"

"The SRDI is located to the northeast of here," Nemu said as she pointed to the direction. "It's a large establishment at the center of this area."

"Got it." Dante returned to his feet and stretched his back. He then picked up Nemu from the ground and cradled her in his arms.

"Mr. Dante… But why?" Nemu asked in confusion. "Wouldn't it be preferable to leave me. My added weight may only slow you down."

"Don't you remember what I said when we first met? It's a little bit of chivalry. Plus you really ain't that heavy." Hearing this, Nemu couldn't help but feel rather surprised. Even though other motives were involved, no one has shown her such generosity. The lieutenant wrapped her arms tightly around Dante (who couldn't help but smile). The closeness between the two made each other blush. "Ready to get going?"

"Yes. Let's hurry." After jumping to the nearest rooftop, Dante hurried to the location as quick as he could.

* * *

Ten minutes passed and the two arrived in front of a large square arch which was the entrance to their destination. "So this is the place," Dante said. On the other side of the arch was a large tower with a few small silos and smaller buildings. Unlike the other barracks which dotted the territories of the Soul Society, this arrow seemed rather industrialized. "It looks… I don't know… a little out of place."

"I understand your reaction to this facility," Nemu responded. "The SRDI is the most technologically advanced sector in the Seireitei. We use this establishment to produce new weaponry and obtain studies."

"Great, a nerd hotspot. So, do you think you can walk?"

"Yes. I believe I have recovered my mobility. Thank you for transporting me, Mr. Dante."

"It was nothing," Dante said as he placed the lieutenant to her feet. However, before Nemu could take two steps, the young woman's legs started to buckle. "Whoa!" Dante replied as he quickly caught her before she hit the ground.

"Perhaps my injuries are more severe than I first theorized. I am sorry of burdening you."

"Hey, it's cool. But I think we should hurry before one of us drops. Permanently."

"Agreed." Carrying Nemu once again in bridal style, Dante raced past the arch and toward the tall main building of the SRDI. Opening the door, the entered the facility and found themselves in a room filled with monitors on the walls and a flight of stairs leading to the center of the room which was filled with PCs. "This is our data retrieval area. Here we use computer unit to gather and input any findings we come across which usually concerns the Soul Society."

"So how did you guys even get these computers? The rest of this place looks like something straight out of a Yojimbo movie. What's with this stuff?"

"Here in the SRDI, we wish to use any sufficient means of gathering information and advancing our combat ability. As such, members of the twelfth division take occasional trips to the living world in order to assimilate the technology found there."

"That sounds… useful…" Dante said. "Hey, do you guys get internet?"

"My quarters are on the next floor above us. You need not worry about any shinigami patrolling. These halls are usually silent at this time."

"That's good news." With destination in mind, Dante and Nemu left the computer lab and made their way to the next floor up. Once they arrived, the two encountered five creatures the size of humans. They walked on all fours and had large lizard-shaped skulls for heads. Noticing the two warriors, the ghastly beasts roared at the black teen and the lieutenant. "What the hell!? Are those hollows?"

"It appears that I forgot to mention about my father's security system."

"Security system?"

"My father created a system which utilized artificially created hollows which patrol these halls. He felt that using other shinigami would lead to errors."

"And I thought I was paranoid." Dante placed Nemu down against the wall and smirked at the monsters. "You test tube boneheads want some pimp juice? Well come and get it!" One of the hollows roared as its comrades approached. With "Get Em Up" Ice Cube and Paul Oakenfold playing in his ear, the black teen drew one of his swords and shouted "Shred with the rage of the past! Kowa ro Shii Maru!" With his red spiked katana in hand, Dante charged at the hollow group. Two of the foes leaped forward and slashed with their front claws, but Dante managed to block the strike and counter, defeating one of the hollows while throwing the other to the ground on its back. The other three hollows then rushed forward, their jaws wide open. Dante leapt behind the trio and used his used Laser Storm, striking the foes to the ground with powerful lightning bolts. He then turned his attention to Nemu's location and saw a sixth hollow dropping from the ceiling and towering over the lieutenant. Behind the black teen, one of the hollows that Dante took down earlier had returned to its feet and was about to attack. The black teen turned his sword around and stabbed the enemy through head, causing it to disappear. Making his way to his Nemu's destination, the black teen ran forward, jumped off one of the three electrified hollows, and slashed the sixth enemy in half with a downward strike as he landed. "You okay?" Dante asked.

"I'm alright, Mr. Dante," Nemu replied. "Behind you," she warned as the three enemy hollows recovered, their bodies still surging with electric current.

As the enemies tried to shack off the electricity Dante used Phantom Slashers. Five circular blades of green energy appeared around him, spinning like saws. With a stroke of his katana, the laser blades hurdled forward, cutting through the enemies masks and destroying them. The battle had finally ended and Dante sealed his weapon. "Too easy," he said as he returned the zanpakuto to its sheath.

"Impressive," Nemu said. "I have never seen such techniques before. It isn't kido, but a different type of spell casting. What do you call this unique style?"

"They're the Lagi Arts," Dante answered. "To tell you the truth, I just learn them as I go along. Thinkin' it might have to do with these swords." Just then, the black teen doubled over and started coughing up blood, his head feeling rather light while a sharp pain struck his chest.

"The poison," Nemu began. "It's starting to advance. You don't have to much time left." Dante breathed heavily as he slowly rose back to his feet. "My quarters is the third door on the right side. Let us hurry before more of my father's creations arrive."

Dante nodded in agreement. At the moment, there would be no chance he could survive another attack. In his condition, it's possible the poison would kill him before he could even strike a blow against the enemy. Lifting Nemu in his arms, Dante hurried through the hall and opened the door to Nemu's quarters.

It was a large and very clean and tidy room. On the left side was a large bed with a drawer next to its head. Sitting on it was a small lamp and a book lying right next to it. On the other side was a worktable with a few more books stacked neatly on two piles, each on opposite ends and in alphabetical order. On the other side of the room was a large wooden door which led to the bathroom. "Pretty nice digs," Dante said before he coughed.

"Thank you for your assistance, Dante. Um… I believe I have regained my mobility."

"You sure this time?" Dante asked with a flirtatious smile. "'Cause I don't mind carrying you a little while longer."

Nemu quickly turned away, her cheeks becoming red and hot. "I'll be fine, thank you. Please sit down on the bed as I retrieve the antidote."

"Aight." Turning slightly to allow Nemu's legs to touch the floor, the attractive lieutenant moved to her desk as she sifted through her desk's contents. Dante took a seat on Nemu's bed before lying his back on its purple covers. The black teen turned his head to Nemu, only to have a clear view of her behind. Noticing this, the maverick's cheeks began turning beat red and a lecherous smile grew on his face. _"Damn that's one nice ass…"_ he thought.

"Is there something bothering you, Dante?" Nemu asked, rather unsure of the black teen's expression. "Has the toxin cause any nerve abnormalities?"

"Oh no, no! It's all good!" Dante quickly replied. "I was just… thinking about art."

"I see," Nemu said. She returned to her duty for about a moment before pulling a brown bottle from her desk. It was the antidote to cure Mayuri's toxin. "I found it," she said. Walking to the bed, she handed the bottle to Dante.

With antidote in hand, he threw his head back and chugged it down as if it were liquor. Once the container was empty, he exhaled and shivered. The antidote was starting to work its way through the warrior's symptoms. "Did anyone ever tell you this has a Kiwi aftertaste?"

"Not really."

"Anyway, thanks for the medicine, Nemu," Dante said with a smile. "I would've been a goner if it weren't for you."

"Oh, no need to thank me, Mr. Dante," she said. "It was my pleasure."

"So…" Dante became rather silent as he thought about what to say."

"Would it be acceptable if I asked you for a favor?" Nemu asked. "I have sustained some damage which include deep lacerations, as did you. Please grab the First Aid for me. It's in the bathroom under the sink." Nemu undid the front of her robe and lifted it up, making sure to cover the front portion of her body and reveal the large gash on her back.

Even with the slash, Dante couldn't help but bleed from his nose and drop his jaw. This woman sitting right in front of him with such smooth, creamy skin was just too much. He shook his head to return to reality. "Yeah, yeah! I'll, uh… I'll get it…" Dante left his seat and stood in front of the lieutenant and checked her out one more time. Walking around the bed, Dante opened the door and entered the bathroom. Looking under the sink, he found a small white box containing bandages and alcohol. With container in hand, he left the bathroom and returned to his seat. Back on the bed, Dante began cleaning up the wounds with the alcohol as he listened to "Swoop" from Afro Samurai: The Game. After a few minutes, he finished by bandaging her shoulder and abdomen. "Well, you're all patched up."

"Thank you. Now it is my turn, Mr. Dante," Nemu said as she grabbed the supplies.

"You know you don't have to call me 'Mr. Dante,'" the black teen replied. "It makes me sound like an old guy. Just stick with 'Dante', okay. That's if I can call you 'Nemu.'"

"Alright then, Dante. Now please, pull of your shirt so I can administer the treatment."

"Heh. The girl knows what she wants," Dante quipped flirtatiously. He slipped off his hooded cloak and pulled off his shirt, revealing a lean built underneath. His back was covered in scratches and shallow flesh wounds. Some have already sealed while others have yet to close. Nemu nodded to herself as she rubbed some alcohol on the wounds. "So Nemu, I got a question."

"Really?"

"Yeah. See it still bugs me, but you said that you still care about that scumbag Mayuri."

"Please, Dante. Can you not insult my captain with such vulgar language?" Nemu asked in a light tone.

"Right, I get it. But after all the things he's done, why do you stick with him?"

"To be honest, it's because I owe him. It was he who brought me into this world, and it was he who has shown me that I am of some use." As Nemu applied to one of the bruises on Dante's flesh, the black teen cringed in pain. "Oh, I'm sorry about that."

"No, it's cool. Keep going."

"Well, I feel that even with all the abuse I endure, it is the least I can do to show him how happy I am to even exist."

"Right. I get it…" Dante had some understanding of this. Of course, his rebirth at the hands of those scientists earlier on did not make him appreciative at first. At the time, he was a vengeful and angry young man who wanted nothing to do with the people who had erased his former life. Still, he felt he knew Nemu's predicament. After all, Mayuri is basically her father, as sadistic and tyrannical as he may be. "I have another question. What do you think about the stuff going on? You know, with Rukia being innocent and one of your big 13 supposedly dropped?"

"As for the convict of Squad 12 being executed, I am not really at liberty to say. True she may have broken the law by transferring her power to a human in the living world and all laws must be abided, but… I do not believe she should be killed. I believe she may have had a logical explanation. Still that is merely my opinion."

"Exactly," Dante said as Nemu now started to wrap him up. "See, I haven't been here for long, but my boy Ichigo's trying to save that chick. I think he said something about paying her back for helping to save his fam. At least, that's what I heard."

"So there was a logical reason…" With the last of the gauze wrapped, Nemu returned the remaining bandages and liquid in the medpack. "As for Captain Aizen's death, I honestly don't know what to think. Perhaps it was Gin who assassinated him. However, there are rumors that you and your fellow ryouka were also held responsible."

"Naw, we ain't got nothin' to do with that," Dante said defensively. "Ich and his friends are way too busy tryin' to bust Rukia out."

"Then what about you? Are you also assisting in her release?"

"Well… Yeah. But I've also got other plans," Dante said with a shrug. He then quickly turned to Nemu with an accusing eye. "Unless you're thinking I'm the one who cut him down?"

Nemu shook her head. "Not at all, Dante. I don't know what it is, but… I just know you aren't the culprit."

"Nemu…" The lieutenant grew a small smile at Dante, who gave a smile of his own back. "Well, thanks for the wraps, Nemu. You've done a lot."

"It was my pleasure," Nemu said with a bow. "Even though your sparing my master was a tactic error, I am still thankful nonetheless."

"Right, your master," Dante said. "Hey listen, how do I get to Sokyouku Hill from here?"

"Sokyouku Hill? It's to the west from here. Why?"

"It's… important."

"I see…"

"Again, thanks for everything, Nemu."

"You're welcome." Putting back on his clothes, Dante left the bed. Once he reached the door, the dark teen turned the knob and was ready to leave. However, he froze before he pulled the door open. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing. Just…"

Nemu cocked her head to the side in bewilderment as Dante thought about what words to say. "I think I understand," she said, catching Dante attention. The black teen turned and noticed that she was starting to under the front of her robe. "If you wish to seduce me, then please do..."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Dante replied as he started shaking his arms and sweat poured from his face beet red face. Nemu had stopped halfway, exposing the top section of her breasts. "Hold on! I haven't even got you a drink yet!"

"Is it really customary to be treated to dining establishments before a sexual encounter?"

"Well, not right away," Dante said. "Not that I wouldn't want to, you know! I mean, there are some things I would do that are illegal in at least five countries that involve barbeque sauce. But not while there are children reading this and I do have my standards."

"There are children?" Nemu asked in confusion.

"Nevermind. What I wanted to ask you was if your injuries would get in the way of your fighting or movement."

"For fighting, I am not at my full strength. However, my body can recover quickly. As for movement, I believe it is possible."

Hearing this, Dante turned to face her. "Would you like to come with me?" he asked. "See, I'm thinking if the two of us teamed up, we can save Rukia and find out what supposedly killed that captain."

"Dante…" Nemu began. "If I join your party, I'll be…"

"Yeah, I know. A traitor to the Seireitei. Still, think about it. You know this whole killing off Rukia thing is screwed over and that Aizen's death is a little weird, right? Don't you think, there's a connection?" Nemu sat silently. Now that she thought about it, the site of Aizen's assassination seemed rather off. Not only that, but somehow, this prompted the execution's date to change for a closer time. What did all of this actually mean? "And here's an added bonus," Dante said, catching Nemu's attention once more. "Wouldn't you want to study someone like me or Ichigo? I mean think of all the valuable data you can gather. It would be a pretty welcomed gift for your pops all boxed up and wrapped in a bow. Just without opening up living bodies and the painfilled screams of torture." Nemu thought this over, as well. Perhaps such information about these ryouka would suit her captain well. However, Nemu's train of thought was interrupted as Dante took her hand and held it. "So, what do you think? Are you in?" he asked with a playful smile.

Nemu stood up from her bed and walked to the other side. She crouched down and reached under the furniture until she grabbed a hold of her zanpakuto. It was a long, slender katana encased in a purple hilt. "Though my swordsmanship is higher than average, I have yet to master its shiki state," the lieutenant said as she tied her sword to her waistband. "Still, my hand-to-hand combat abilities are enough to mask this handicap."

"Wait. So are you saying that-?"

"Yes, Dante. I shall lend you my services," Nemu said as she blushed. "We might be able to understand what is happening in the Seireitei."

"Sweet!" he said with excitement. "Now in the immortal words of my boy Optimus motherfuckin' Prime, 'Let's roll out!'" Opening the door to the hall, Dante and Nemu hurried out of the room. After facing a few guardian hollows and leaving the SRDI building, the two quickly ran to their destination: Sokyouku Hill. With the morning sun's glow peeking above the horizon, Dante smiled as he was about to reunite with his favorite ninja and substitute shinigami.

* * *

Author's Note 1: With Dante and Nemu soon joining with Yoruichi and Ichigo, the secret of unlocking the all powerful Bankai is looming over the horizon. Will Dante be able to learn this technique? What challenges will he need to face to actually unlock this hidden power? Read and review to find out.

Author's Note 2: Now with the inclusion of Nemu as Dante's sidekick, you are probably thinking there might be some romance. Perhaps, but then again, perhaps not. I'm not too sure. Judging from Dante's behavior and personality flaws, his relationships with woman seem like mere short flings or one night stands at the most. But what do you think? Should this become one of the few OcxNemu's stories, or maybe you think he would be better off paired with other female characters? Or more likely, should we just keep him as the ever charming, ever insane, gangsta rogue? Please give me a response on what you think.


	12. Chapter 11

Ch. 11

A couple of hours have passed since Dante and Nemu left the SRDI. Moving with stealth and agility, the two managed to evade any shinigami who they encountered. By the time they reached the maze of tall buildings at the center of the Seireitei, the two warriors decided to use the rooftops instead of having trekking through the paths and getting caught.

They're plan of evasion seemed to work. At least, it did before they encountered a large shinigami with two braids. The left side of his upper body was left bare, revealing a tattoo on his shoulder. "Stop right there, ryouka!" ordered the man. "You will not pass!" The man turned toward the maverick and the lieutenant with folded arms and a cocky smile. "Finally, a chance to redeem myself! By taking you in, I, Tatsufusa Enjoji, shall be held in high regard once more."

As Tatsufusa laughed haughtily, Dante merely dug in his ear to clear out the wax. "Sorry, Pipi Longstocking, but my hearing was a little off. Can you repeat that?" the black teen asked as he flicked the wax to the side.

"What!?" Tatsufusa replied. "How dare you insult me, ryouka! You're no match for me!"

"You know, you're not the first shinigami to get all offended so fast. I mean, I barely even got to use a segue yet. Guess scrutiny to a Soul Reaper is like a drug charge to Amy Winehouse: surprising but never new. Course with she calls that the end of a Saturday night run."

"Allow me to give you a brief description on the individual, Dante," Nemu explained. "That is Tatsufusa Enjoji, third seated officer in Squad 8 which is lead by Captain Shunsui Kyoraku."

"Kyoraku? Oh yeah, Captain Pimpin'!" Dante replied as he playfully smacked his head. "Yeah, he's a pretty cool cat. Wonder how he's doing lately."

"However, among the those holding his same position, he is among the weakest."

"Hey! I'm still here! Don't ignore me!" shouted Tatsufusa, who was now feeling somewhat belittled. Dante and Nemu turned to the enemy with flat gazes. "So it you who was responsible for giving the captain the idea of having the subordinates call him this 'Captain Pimpin'!"

Dante rose his eyebrows in astonishment. He was indeed surprised by the news. _"Heh… Didn't think he'd actually go through with it…"_ thought the black teen as he scratched the back of his head.

Tatsufusa then turned his attention to Nemu. "And you!" he pointed. "You're that lieutenant of Squad 12, aren't you? Not only did you call me weak, which is untrue by the way, but you're following the ryouka. You should be apprehending him. Why are you doing this?"

"The reasons for my actions are of no concern to you, Mr. Enjoji," Nemu answered stoically. "Now, as lieutenant, I order you to stand down and return to your squadron immediately."

"Never!" replied the third seat. "I had already let one of these trespassers slip through my fingers. And even if I wanted to, you joining with this ryouka brands you as a conspirator against the Soul Society. I'll take you in, too!" Realizing that his chance to increase his accolades were standing right in front of him, the shinigami face was decorated with a cocky smile. "With two suspects captured, I may get a promotion and finally catch the eye of Captain Soi Fon!" Dante glanced at Tatsufusa with a raised brow, confused by the sudden quote. Pulling his sword from its sheath, the third seat began brandishing his blade, swinging it in high speeds. Coupling his wild swings and loud noises, the third seat believed his strategy to be a useful intimidation tactic. "Ha ha! What will you do now?" he replied arrogantly. "Using this technique, my defenses are impenetrable! Give in to my expert swordsmanship, you lowly invader! There's no way you can win!"

Dante sighed as sweatdrop slid on the side of his head. He then turned to Nemu, who glanced at the black teen with a plain frown. It was evident that the two could not believe that such a man managed to gain his current position. Especially given his unusual style of fighting. Looking back at Tatsufusa, Dante then said earnestly, "Are you friggin' serious? I've seen five year olds that can use a butter knife better than this chump does with his own sword!"

"If you like, I would be glad to rid us of this nuisance," Nemu said.

"Um… Sure," Dante said, accepting his ally's offer. The black teen then looked down and saw a small round pebble on the ground next to his feet. Picking it up, the young swordsman began casually juggling it in his hand. "How about I give you an opening."

"As you wish." With Nemu standing patiently in a fighting stance, the enemy death god charged forward while still flailing his zanpakuto. Dante hurled the rock at the foe where it hit the enemy straight in the forehead like a baseball pitcher, damaging the foe's ego in the process. Tatsufusa staggered back, his strokes slowing down as he rubbed his bruised head.

"What the hell!?" he shouted. With the distraction made, Nemu went on the offensive. With blinding speed, the lieutenant punched and kicked the foe numerous times before using a spinning attack that knocked him back a few feet. Even after the strong blows, the third seat returned to his feet, bruised by the flurry of attacks. "Damn you, traitor!" Tatsufusa then rushed at the lieutenant, swinging his sword once more. Just as the death god reached her, Nemu managed to avoid one of the strikes and punched him in the chest. She then kicked him in the air before jumping up and performing a spinning attack. The move tossed Tatsufusa to the next roof over, where he laid unconscious with his body splayed out on the landing site. With no traitor or intruder to show for his efforts, the foe's pride as a soul reaper had just taken another drop.

"The enemy has now been disabled," Nemu said calmly. The short fight was nothing more than an exercise for the young woman.

"Damn…" Dante said with an impressed smile. "You got some nice moves, girl! Remind me not to get on yo' bad side."

"Thank you, Dante," Nemu said with a blush. "Now, let us proceed to our destination."

"I heard that!" The black teen walked to the edge of the roof and scanned his surroundings. Turning to the northeast, he saw the Senzaikyu's white tower off in a distance. Knowing that the hideout was not too far from the site, Dante knew he was close. "We're almost there," he said. "We just need to get to that cliff near the tower."

"You mean Sokyoku Hill. I estimate that our time of arrival at our top speed would be about forty minutes."

"Forty, huh? Can't have that. How about we shave off some time by taking to the wing instead?" suggested Dante as he drew one of his swords. He turned his head to Nemu, who looked at him with a quixotic eye. "Burst with the fury of the future. Akumu hi Ryuujin." With his sword release, Dante used his transformation ability. However, instead of the familiar Mare Embryo, Dante was now a different breed of dragon. A rather bizarre creature with a white nearly skeletal body streaked in luminescent light, it had large spiked wings with a web-like membrane, a short tail with a fin running along the top, and a relatively small head with a long raised horn above its snout, two smaller horns on the bottom of its lower jaw, and a pair of fangs jutting from the front of said jaw. Its legs and feet were long and slender, with spikes protruding from the joints and ends of its feet. This form was Heavy Wing, a fully evolved aerial berserker. _"Whoa…"_ Dante thought as he checked himself over. _"This shit is wicked! I'm lookin' like one crazy ass mo' fo' now!"_

"Interesting…" Nemu mused as she inspected the dragon. "Never have I witnessed such drastic and sudden transfigurations. And then to see such instant changes in morphology within the forms is almost unheard of. It defies the very basis of evolution or natural selection." Turning around, Dante lowered altitude, his body hovering just below the rooftop's ledge. At first Nemu was rather reluctant. After all, she had never ridden on anything living or not. Yet here she was, standing a feet away from a living air transport. It felt rather surreal to say the least. Still, Nemu knew that there was no time to waste. With a nod, the lieutenant distanced herself before running forward and jumping onto Dante's back. "This is unexpected. Given your wing structure and body design, I can't help but wonder how you can still keep airborne."

"That's like wondering how a hedgehog can run so damn fast. Go ask the guys at Sega," Dante screeched. "Well, let's fly." With a flap of his wings, Dante flew forward to the destination, his body rocking back and forth. Seated in a kneeling position, Nemu looked down at the ground below. The soul reapers were like little ants in a garden, small black dots seemingly unaware of what was soaring above them. She then turned her attention ahead as the Senzaikyu and Sokyoku Hill quickly come into view. In a few minutes, the two arrived at a cliff just beneath the execution site. Dante noticed the boards, which were destroyed by Ichigo's last exit, were replaced. Nemu jumped off the dragon and onto the platform before the black teen resumed human form. "This is the spot where my homies be chillin'," Dante said.

"An abandoned entrance. How odd. I cannot detect any spiritual energy beyond here."

"That would explain why no one could follow," Dante said. "Guess it's some of Yoruichi's mojo." The black teen opened the door and both he and the lieutenant walked inside. Passing through the first room where Dante recuperated the day before, the two arrived inside a large open chamber. It was a rocky terrain covered in large jutting stones with dead trees scattered about the area. Above was a sun set high in the sky, which was odd since they were in a thick mountain and it was still early morning in the outside world. "I don't remember this being here," Dante said.

"Well, look who finally came," said a sensual voice not too far. Dante turned to his left and saw Yoruichi standing against a rock. "It took you long enough. I figured that you got caught."

"Who moi? Please! I'm like the Pink Panther, sexy Ninja Lady," Dante said with a smile. "It takes more than an entire squadron and captain to take down your boy!"

"Really? And this captain you say you've encountered. Who was he?" Yoruichi quizzed.

"He was my father," Nemu answered.

Yoruichi turned her attention to the rather silent lieutenant, eying her curiously. After all, none of the captains had any children as far as she knew. Nemu only looked down submissively, her shyness keeping her from making eye contact. "So, Dante," the dark-skinned woman asked. "Who's your new friend?"

"Well, she's Nemu Kurotsuchi," Dante answered. "She's the lieutenant of Squad 12 and the daughter of that crazy clown Mayuri Kurotsuchi."

"It is a pleasure to meet you," Nemu said as she bowed respectfully to Yoruichi.

"Same here. I'm Yoruichi Shihoin," Yoruichi said with a smile. "So you said you're the daughter of Mayuri. It's been a while since I've seen him. How is your father doing these days?"

"Well, he became a captain sometime after Ex-Captain Urahara's exile and has ran the SRDI with much success."

"I would expect as much. Kisuke always had an eye for potential. Even if it did come from a prison cell."

"This all sounds very cool and all, and maybe we could discuss this between arcs in a flashback sequence about resetting old clock parts," Dante replied, earning a questioning glance from Yoruichi. "But, what's with the mountain in a mountain thing going on here. And where's Ich?"

"To answer your first question, this is a secret training ground. It's an area unknown by most of Soul Society. You are one of the first outsiders to set foot here."

"Sweet," Dante said with a smile. "I almost feel a bit special."

"As for your second question…" Yoruichi turned around, watching something not too far away.

Dante and Nemu looked in the same direction and saw Ichigo in a garden filled with various swords. His opponent was a middle-aged man with a shaved beard and long black hair with a flowing black coat. The fight was fierce as Ichigo struck his opponent with powerful blows, but the man managed to counter and use a strike with equal if not strong force, breaking the substitute's blade with relative ease. Quickly, Ichigo moved in for another sword and tried attacking, over and over. "Such spiritual pressure…" Nemu said. "It's incredible. Is this the Ichigo you were talking about, Dante?"

"That's our little hero, alright," Dante answered. "And before you ask, yes that's his natural hair color. Personally, I think he drank a little too much carrot juice." He then turned to Yoruichi, who stood on top of the rock, watching the substitute shinigami battle. "Yo, Ninja Babe, what's Ich doin'? And who's that Rob Zombie lookin' mo' fo' he's goin' up against?"

"What you are watching is a battle to determine whether or not Ichigo will ascend to the next level of power," Yoruichi explained. "The man Ichigo is fighting is actually the embodiment of his zanpakuto, Zangetsu."

"So Ichigo is trying to reach the bankai state," Nemu said. "I didn't think that an individual was even able to manifest his zanpakuto on his own in such a short amount of time."

"That's because he wasn't," Yoruichi said, gaining Nemu's attention. "At least not without some help."

"What do you mean?"

Walking around to the other side of the rock, Yoruichi grabbed a white human-shaped cutout. "It's called Tenshintai, a device used to speed up the process of achieving bankai. With it, the spirit of the zanpakuto will be able to manifest itself into the real world. Including yours, Dante."

"So wait! You mean to tell me I can also use bankai too!?" Dante asked with widened eyes as he pointed to himself.

The ninja complied with a light nod. "That's right. By using shiki, you've displayed a level of dialogue and harmony with both of your zanpakuto. This is evident by your transformation ability and how your forms constantly change as you grow stronger. This includes your battle with Kenpachi Zaraki. By accomplishing this, you are displaying your manifestation status or a very similar state."

"So my power to transform and that time I fought Zaraki shows that I got this manifestation thing down?" Dante asked. Thinking about the forms he took and his encounters with the spirits of his zanpakutos made the black teen chuckled. "Man, I'm just so pimpin'," he said with a smile. "So tell me, Ninja Lady. What does a brother gotta do to get his bankai?"

"Simply strike this Tenshintai with one of your zanpakuto and its spirit will be forced into this world. The manifestation period would normally take three days."

"Three days? All the time in the world," said a confident Dante.

"I believe she said 'normally.' There is a chance that an implication is involved." Dante looked at Nemu with a cock-eyed glance.

"Nemu's right. You wield two different zanpakutos and can only use one at a time. Both swords share the same source of power, meaning your spiritual energy is unstable. If you were to fight with both weapons at once or battle in the three day maximum with one weapon, your spiritual power would burn out and cause your body to shut down. This means that the only way you can reach bankai would be in a period of thirty-six hours for each."

"So, wait! I only get a day and a half? That's a rip-off! " Dante replied. "I demand a lawyer! Since we're in the Soul Society, bring me Johnny Cochran! He'll figure a way around this!"

"Anyway…" Yoruichi continued, paying no attention to Dante's rant. "If you do not defeat the spirit by the end of that time, then you will die."

Dante only stood quietly as he assessed the situation. _"Only three days to beat a dragon and a raptor,"_ he thought. Not only they were the source of his abilities, but they were a part of his very soul. _"Whoever said anything about conquering their inner demons sure as hell didn't have this in mind."_ Dante turned to Nemu, who stood quietly with a blank stare. "You think I have a chance?"

"Dante…" Nemu said with some astonishment.

"Seriously, give me a quick number crunch."

Nemu turned away as she thought over the calculations. "Given that the average shinigami with a single zanpakuto's spirit has a 50% chance off success, I determine that yours, given the dual spirit factor, is along a 33.33% chance of survival. Granted it is a repeat number."

The black teen only sighed as he returned to his thoughts. _"Well, compared to some of the shit I've done, the odds are lookin' pretty good."_

"Dante, do you wish to go through with this? I understand if you wish to-"

Before Yoruichi could finish, Dante unsheathed one of his swords. "Shred with the rage of the past! Kowa ro Shii Maru!" Releasing his blade, Dante stabbed the blade into the cardboard dummy. Still holding his imbedded blade, the black teen started to smile. "If I only have thirty six hours, then I better get started. Time's a wastin'."

Before long, a strong gale began to kick up, forcing the three back. The Tenshintai was surrounded by a strong, swirling vortex of wind almost like a small twister. Suddenly, the object disappeared in seconds. At this time, Dante felt something strong, yet familiar spiritual pressure from behind him. He turned and saw the form of a large Deinonychus standing from a ridge above him, its red snake-like eyes locked onto him as its black and red striped plumage rustled in the wind. The spirit Kowa ro Shii Maru had finally arrived. "We meet once again, Dante," Kowa's voice echoed as it turned its head in a bird like manner. "It's been a while."

"It has, hasn't it, Kowa," Dante said. "Haven't heard from you since the omake."

"So this is the spirit of one of the zanpakuto my father created," Nemu said. "A large specimen belonging to the Deinonychus antirrohopus species."

"Nemu, was it?" said the raptor as it move its head to the side, focusing one eye on the lieutenant. "It is so good to see you in person. In a way, the two of us would be considered siblings due to the machinations of your scientist father. Would you not agree?"

"It is possible that would be the case."

"Hey, sorry to crash this family reunion, but the two of us have some business to take care of," Dante replied.

"Indeed." Pulling back, Kowa leaped off the hill and to the ground below, landing just in front of Dante. The raptor began preening, using its teeth to clean its back and moving on to the fan-like tail. "You have summoned me to initiate your bankai training, correct?"

"That's right, Kowa. The shiki's cool an' all, but if I'm right about the party that's about to go off, I'm thinkin' I'll be a little underdressed. You know what I'm sayin'?"

"I see. It is hard to believe that the two of us first only met two days ago. Now look what came after 48 hours."

"How time flies, right?" Dante smirked. "So how are we going to do this? An eating contest? A race? Trivial Pursuit of pop culture between the years 1972 to 2008? Rock, paper, scissors? Give me something!"

The raptor turned to Dante, grinning while the black feathers on its head rose. The dinosaur then turned to Yoruichi and asked, "You do not mind if I take over from here? As you can see, he is such a precocious young one."

"Not at all. His training is in your hands."

"Excellent." Kowa returned his gaze to Dante. "Here is the challenge." With a stomp of the raptor's foot, Kowa ro Shii Maru's zanpakuto dropped from above, it blade landing into the ground.

Dante turned back, surprised by the sudden arrival of the blade and noticing that it was in its shiki form still. "Where the hell did that thing come from?" he asked. "And why's it still in shiki?"

"For this challenge, you will need all your swordsmanship to defeat what I have prepared for you." Taking a deep breath, the Deinonychus began making various loud screeches and honks.

Dante backed away as the cries rang in his ears. Opening behind Kowa, a large portal began to form, its frame rippling like the surface of water. Dante gazed at the rift with curiosity. He slowly walked toward it, inspecting the strange vortex. "What the hell…?" Dante said as his hand slowly stretched to touch it. Suddenly, a large rectangular head popped out just a few feet above the black teen, a pair of small bumps just above each eye. Noticing the maverick, the creature peered down, displaying its sharp teeth. Dante slowly looked up as he heard a low growl coming from above. "Holy shit!" Dante yelped as he quickly distanced himself from the portal. The beast proceeded forward, walking on long legs and carrying two long arms like a bird's wing. Dante walked back armed with both Kowa ro Shii Maru and the sealed Akumu hi Ryuujin. The creature measured nearly forty four feet in length and twelve feet tall. Its dark blue with thin black stripes was balanced by a long tail. Tall scales jutted from the back of its head, the base of its back, and the end of its tail. Towering over Dante, the dinosaur held its head high and roared. The black teen stared at the colossal creature speechlessly. "God damn it!" he finally exclaimed "Is this a motherfuckin' raptor-lookin' T. Rex!? Why the hell is there a motherfuckin' raptor-lookin' T. Rex up in this bitch!? I thought this was Bleach, not goddamn Jurassic Park or Dinosaur King!"

"I believe that genus is a Deltadromeus agilis," Nemu nonchalantly informed, undeterred by the carnivore before her. "A large and slender carnivore from Egypt currently grouped in the noasaur family who are said to be descended from-"

"Yo Nemu, as cool as it might sound, I'm pretty sure the readers would rather go to Wikipedia if they really gave a damn," Dante interrupted. "Now back to my question: Why is there a big-ass motherfuckin' lizard up in this son of a bitch!" Taking offense to the remark, the Deltadromeus roared loudly, saliva flying from its mouth and covering the black teen. Dante froze as it slowly registered that he was covered in spit. "This is so not cool…" he said as he shook it off.

Kowa sighed, tired of the maverick's ranting. "Perhaps I should explain. I have summoned this Deltadromeus as a part of your test. You will defeat this theropod using Kowa ro Shii Maru. Here are the rules. You may use Akumu hi Ryuujin as a partner sword in its standard form. You cannot use its shiki. All berserks and transfigurations are band from this challenge."

"What!?"

"This test is to determine your skill in your swordsmanship. The only specialties you may use are your support class berserks and laser locks. Is that understood?" Dante only groaned but reluctantly nodded. "This solo battle is to determine your worthiness to take the next step into bankai. You have thirty-six hours to defeat this D. agilis. Fail or break the demerits and you will die."

"Well, look on the bright side. At least it isn't Chuck motherfuckin' Norris," Dante replied. "I mean seriously? Who wants to fuck with Walker Texas Ranger? That's like pissing on Stone Cold Steve Austin's front lawn, dissin' Three 6 Mafia while at one of their rap concerts, saying that Haseo's an emo bitch to his face, and telling Wolverine that Deadpool's better than him all at once! Of course, the last one's pretty true. Still, it's a death sentence! I mean, it's said that Chuck Norris once roundhouse kicked someone so hard, his foot broke the sound barrier, traveled back in time, and then killed Amelia Earhart while she flew over the Pacific Ocean. I ain't fuckin' with that shit! I'd rather take on this super-sized walking bear trap instead," Evidently, the Deltadromeus understood its new label and snarled, its body low to the ground and poised to attack.

Yoruichi and Nemu only turned to Kowa skeptically, wondering if the raptor had any clue as to what his wielder was saying. Only an embarrassed sigh escaped the dromaeosaur's jaws,. "You're guess is as good as mine. Still, I feel there will be some very busy workers fixing many broken walls." Kowa quickly shook off the confusion and turned to the black teen. "Well, Dante. Are you ready to go?"

"Heaven or Hell! Let's rock!" Dante replied as he played "Holy Orders (Be Just or Be Dead)" from Guilty Gear 2: Overture. Giving a loud roar, the Deltadromeus charged forward, its jaws opened wide. Dante also ran to the theropod, both swords trailing behind. Once they met, Dante quickly leaped over the creature's jaws before they snapped shut and ran on its back. He slashed the dinosaur with powerful strikes and stabs. "Yippie kai yay, you Cretaceous son of a bitch!" he shouted as the giant carnivore roared and kicked like a wild stallion. Soon, the Deltadromeus managed to buck Dante off its back before using surprising speed to slam the midair teen's body with its tail. The attack knocked the wind (and some blood) out of his body before he landed hard on the ground. Dante was motionless, trying hard to catch his breath as the African noasaur drew near his limp body, the scratches it sustained were slowly closing. "Okay… This guy's tougher than I thought," Dante said as he struggled to pick his injured body from the ground. However, the strike from the Deltadromeus broke one of his ribs, making it hard for him to breathe.

"Dante, you must return to your feet," Nemu replied. "Time is running out." Dante tried to get up once more, but he felt a sharp pain at the side of his body. A broken rib received by the foe's tail lash. "You haven't the time for a rest."

"Recover quickly, Dante," Kowa said with a stoic demeanor. "Or would you rather end up as prey for your competition."

"No offense, but your cheerleading really needs work!" Dante called back before rolling on his back. That's when he saw the Deltadromeus looming over him, its gold eyes scanning him. The dinosaur roared once more as it picked up it's large bird-like foot and proceeded to slam it to the ground. Dante rolled to the right and evaded the stomp until he reached a large boulder. Pushing his back against its surface, Dante desperately charged his spiritual energy to use one of his support berserks. "Healing Wing!" he shouted as a white glow surrounded his body and recovered his health. The Deltadromeus quickly turned and fired a laser which raced to the black teen's location. The maverick was stunned that this creature could use such an attack. Still, he shook it off and quickly hurried behind the boulder just before the particle beam hit. He then ran around the side and rushed the dinosaur. The giant noasaur fired another round of lasers, but they missed as the black teen evaded the streams. Once in range, the rogue jumped in the air and struck with his long red katana. However, the dinosaur blocked the zanpakuto with one of its three-clawed hands before slashing with the other. The strike tossed Dante into the air and before he knew it, the black teen was struck from behind by the Deltadromeus' headbutt. Dante crashed into the side of the training area, his body now lying flat against the vertical surface. The black teen pried himself off the rock face and saw the large dinosaur glaring at him. "This fool's… just pulled a goddamn Zidane…" he said as he panted heavily. The black teen then turned to Kowa and scowled. "'Ey, yo! Since when the hell did a bus-sized lizard move like Speedy Gonzalez and learn to fuckin' shoop da woop!?"

"Since I transferred some of my power," answered the raptor. "As you have noticed, this creature is no mere dinosaur. I have augmented its combat abilities in order for it to be a worthy adversary. Due to this, the Deltadromeus' exhibits a fighting style similar to your own. Think of it as a large scale version of yourself."

"What do you mean, man?"

"In order for a warrior to become strong, their skills must always be improved. Even at their peak, one must always push past their personal bounds. This dinosaur represents your current state of power. Defeating this symbol of your strength will mean that you have grown more powerful."

"_My current state of power…"_ Dante thought as he slowly picked himself up from the surface. He then turned to the scowling Deltadromeus and smiled. "I get it now," Dante said. "This is all about going past my limits. No holds barred. Man to monster. Straight up survival of the fittest." The imitation soul reaper reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair of sunglasses given to him by Rangiku the previous day. "I'm starting to like this," he said as he placed them on his face with smirk. Charging spiritual energy again, Dante used another support berserk. "Defense Wing!" he called as his body was wrapped in a green aura. Now with his durability increased, Dante hurried down the slope and rushed the Deltadromeus, who in turn awaited the black teen's arrival.

* * *

It was afternoon outside the Sokyoku Hill as an investigation was being carried out in the demolished zone of Squad 12's area. Overseeing the inspection was a tall man in a white robe with spiked black hair. Resting on his forehead were three small horns (two on the left side and one on the right). This was the gigai expert and high ranking member of Squad 12 known as Akon. Scanning his surroundings, he stood with a frown and pondered over his findings. _"This must have been where Captain Mayuri fought with the ryouka. Judging from the left over residue found at the scene which hold trace elements of his DNA and spiritual energy, these people managed to defeat him in battle. There is an unusally high concentration of spirit particles in the immediate vicinity. This perhaps indicates the involvement of a Quincy."_ His train of thought was then interrupted as he noticed a slight chill in the air and a strong presence behind him. Knowing who it was, Akon turned around as he casually came face to face with Captain Hitsugaya. "Captain Hitsugaya, it's good to see that you made it," he said.

"You're Akon, right?" Toshiro asked. "Why did you wish to see me?"

"You have heard of what happened here last night. Our captain, Mayuri Kurotsuchi, was engaged in battle with the intruders. Due to the partially disintegrated objects near here and the copius amounts of spirit particles in the air, we believe there was a Quincy here."

"A Quincy?" Hitsugaya asked, somewhat surprised by the news, though still maintaining a calm demeanor. It's been years since he heard of that race. Last he checked, they were a group of spiritually aware humans who went extinct years ago. He then remembered a report he read a short while ago. "I heard from Central 46 that mentions a Quincy," he began. " Evidently, Captain Kaname Tosen of Squad 9 captured him earlier this morning. So what happened to Captain Kurotsuchi?"

"Our captain was defeated in combat and is recovering at his secret lab, repairing his physiology as we speak." Hearing this gave the young captain some sense of satisfaction. It was no secret that there was little love between the scientist and the prodigy (or anyone else for that matter). Still, he was surprised that this Quincy was able to defeat Mayuri in battle. "We have also found something else here." Hitsugaya turned to Akon with a risen eye. Following him down the street, the two stood next to a large footprint. The Squad 10 captain was stunned as he gazed upon the odd trace. It was very large with two long toes and a smaller print at the center. Whatever created this print was a large and heavy beast. Then there was something unexpected: a smaller print just in front of it which appears to be from the bottom of a shoe. "As you can see, there was something or someone else here at this site. A partner of the Quincy, perhaps?"

"Perhaps," the young prodigy said knowing full well what these tracks meant. _"So you were here, too, Dante,"_ he thought. He then looked around the investigation site and scanned the crew before realizing someone was missing. Mayuri's daughter and lieutenant was not present. "Akon, where is Lieutenant Kurotsuchi?" he asked.

"She hasn't been seen since yesterday. Nor has she reported into the Shinigami Women's Association," Akon answered. "Given her position, she would have taken charge while the captain was indisposed. It is possible that she was caught in the line of fire. Even so her body has not been recovered."

"_This is odd,"_ Toshiro thought. _"Unlike a certain lieutenant of mine, Nemu is not one to simply procrastinate with her duties. If she's not here and she's not at the meetings…"_ The captain's eyes widened as he realized there was one possibility left. _"Is it really possible that she was kidnapped?"_ He then turned to Akon with a dutiful glare. "Akon, tell your men to be alert. There's a possibility that Nemu has been abducted."

"My thoughts exactly. I had already sent a search party to investigate."

"Good. I'll let you know if I find something, too."

"Yes, Captain." With his business with Squad 10's captain over, Akon left the scene and continued to the Shinigami Research and Development Institute with samples from the scene in hand.

Toshiro turned his attention back to the pair of footprints lying before him. _"There's no doubt in my mind you're the one responsible for this, Dante Blaine,"_ he thought as he scowled at the print with cold eyes. _"It's as if your presence here only brings disrespect to the Soul Society. I wouldn't be surprised if you also have a hand in the constant change in Rukia's execution date. No matter what form you take or how strong you may become, I'll make you pay."

* * *

"This is so boring,"_ Rangiku mentally whined as she rested her head in hands, both elbows plastered on surface of her work desk. Right now her table was covered in documents ranging from work reports to schedules. Though she did write up a good amount of the forms, the work load was still a real killer. Especially when the papers that have yet to be touched are twice the height of the ones she initialed.

"Why is it there are so many of these papers?" she sighed. "Half of them aren't even that important." Rangiku took off a few forms off her desk and read them. "Here's one for allowing chinchillas on the grounds. And then there's another one for extra heaters in each barracks. And then there's a document which allows for the permission of video game systems…" Before she threw the paper down, she scanned it once more. From her travels to the world of the living, these entertainment devices did peek her interest. She remembered one day when she was in a store playing Dance Dance Revolution. Oh how she loved the music and gameplay (as well as the fact that most of the men stopped to ogle her amiable body as she racked in the high scores). Giving this proposition a second thought, the young lady decided to sign her name on the document. "Maybe it will do the Captain some good," she told herself. "After all, I'm sure he and Shuhei would love playing Guitar Hero."

Getting out of her chair, the lieutenant left her workload and table. She stretched her arms and back, yawning as she did so. The busty blonde then turned back to the still unsigned documents. Even from her current position, the stack gave the voluptuous woman a sweatdrop. "Maybe I'll have the time for it a little later," she said to herself as she examined the pile unfavorably.

Rangiku left the room and stood outside her door, breathing the fresh air. Though the remaining ryouka were still running rampant, the lieutenant still saw a chance to take things easy. _"Perhaps I need a little something to drink,"_ she thought before sifting her mind for any suitable drinking buddies. She knew at this time, Shuhei would be in the middle of paperwork and then go for his scheduled training excercises. Shunsui was also too 'busy' (a term even she used loosely when in regards to the captain) doing his 'duties'. The only person that came into mind was the new recruit from Squad 12 she had recently met. _"Hm… Maybe I should see what Dante's up to? We had a good time yesterday. I doubt someone like him has a lot of work to do."_ Then she remembered the sudden burst of spiritual energy that occurred in the Twelfth Division's court last night and how her comrade rushed in to investigate. _"Besides, maybe I should look up on him to make sure he's alright."_ With her decision made, Rangiku shunpoed from her location and made her way to the 12th Division.

* * *

Late afternoon soon came to the Seireitei. Though the area was still on high alert, a rare sense of calm swept through the complex. Still, even on a day as relatively quiet and uneventful as this, the feeling of restlessness was shared among many of the soul reapers. Especially when trusted, dutiful officers were now being detained.

One of these officers was Hanataro Yamada, 7th Seat of Squad 4. At first, he was a reluctant victim, kidnapped by three of the ryouka. Soon it was revealed that these supposed intruders were on a rescue mission to save fellow shinigami Rukia Kuchiki, something he felt proud to be a part of. Hanataro believed that, as a soul reaper, it was his duty to do what was right and just.

Now here he was sitting on a bench behind bars within a jail cell. "Was what I was doing really the right thing?" he asked himself. "Or did me helping Rukia only make matters worse?" Images of Rukia flooded his mind from the time he spent with the ex-shinigami to their reunion at the Senzaikyu. _"Maybe it was all a waste of time,"_ he thought with a solemn gaze. _"Maybe I shouldn't have done anything."_

Then Hanataro remembered what his lieutenant, Isane Kotetsu, said to him as she escorted him to his cell. _"I believe you listened to your heart and acted on what your true feelings told you. I wish I was that strong."_

With the message replayed in his head, the healer pondered over his decision. "Maybe it was right for me to try and help Rukia. And to be honest, I would do it again if I had the chance." Hanataro pulled himself from his seat and turned to the bars of his prison. _"Still, it's not like I could escape. All my equipment is gone and my zanpakuto is back in my room at Squad 4 headquarters. The only thing I can do now is hope that Ichigo and Dante can save Rukia in time. Because in two more days…"_ The shinigami stopped in mid-thought and shook his head. He didn't want to think of the failing result and instead replaced fear with optimism. _"No, I know those two will rescue her. They're just too strong loose to anyone. If they managed to beat Kenpachi Zaraki, then they can beat anyone."

* * *

_Now in the 12 Division territory, Rangiku searched high and low for Dante. Using her shunpo, the lieutenant sped through the area like a missile. However, her drinking comrade was nowhere to be found. She asked anyone she could find, but oddly enough, they had no idea who she was talking about. _"This is pretty strange,"_ Rangiku thought to herself as she strolled down the street. _"I never imagined someone like Dante to be something of a shut-in."_

After turning a corner, Rangiku's walking speed slowed to a stop and her face went from aimless thought to surprise. Before her was the damage from the large scale battle between Captain Mayuri and the ryouka. _"Just look at this place,"_ she thought out loudly as she treaded through the ground zero. _"It's a mess. Whatever was going on must have been big."_

As she walked, the lieutenant couldn't help but feel the density of reishi which filled the air. She could also feel the left behind reiryoku which still remained from the battle. Besides the traces of Squad 12's captain and another ryouka, Rangiku felt the left behind essence of someone familiar. She pressed forward for a few steps before she froze in her tracks, her eyes glued to a large footprint pasted on the ground before her. _"Make that very big,"_ she thought as she knelt down to the ground. _"What could have made this? If I remember, Mayuri's bankai looks like a cross between a baby and a worm."_ Before she could continue to ponder, the spiritual power she sensed before was back, this time clustered near the footprint. "This left behind spiritual power… There's no doubt about it. Dante was here," she said. "But why am I sensing him here in this spot?"

Rangiku stood up and placed a hand under her cheek, trying to find a plausible theory. _"Maybe he got get stepped on by whatever made this track?"_ she figured at first. But after scanning her surroundings, she found nothing to support her thought._ "…No way! There's nothing here that says that happened. Besides, I doubt he would let himself be crushed. Still… why would his spiritual pressure be here?"_ Rangiku looked up at the sky. _"Whatever happened, I hope he's alright." _Before long, the lieutenant began to yawn, stretching her arms above her head in the process. _"Well, I better get back to my room and finish a few more forms. I'm sure the captain's wondering where that paperwork is."_ Rangiku turned back to the footprint one last time. _"I hope you're still alive,"_ she thought before she shunpoed from the scene.

* * *

The dark cover of night soon shrouding the Soul Society. In the skies above, a pale white moon shone over the horizon. Aside from the few patrols marching through their assigned positions with lit torches, the outside world was relatively silent. However, back inside the Secret Training Area within Sokyoku Hill, things were far from tranquil.

Jaws and katanas collided as Dante used his swords to block the Deltadromeus' sharp fangs from reaching his body. For a few seconds, the two individuals were locked in a shoving match. However, the larger dinosaur still managed to push the black teen back before quickly lowering its head and ramming the black teen and breaking his guard. It then spun around and used its long tail to knock Dante into the air. The dinosaur then followed up with a quick laser blast. However, Dante noticed the particle beams coming and recovered. He deflected the laser attack right before they met their mark. One of the streams hit its user as the rest blasted the ground around it.

A cloud of dust kicked up in the impact, covering the field. Dante landed in clear center, surrounded by a thick dust cover. The maverick was on high alert as he shifted into a defensive position to brace himself for an attack. He constantly turned his body, hoping to spoil the prehistoric enemy's ambush tactic. He also started whistling to the enemy like it were a dog, thinking it would to bait it out of the thick cover. "Here boy! Come here!" he called. "I ain't gonna hurt you." _"I'm just gonna cut you down..."_

Meanwhile, distanced from the battleground, Nemu and Kowa sat on a large boulder overlooking the swordsman's duel. The lieutenant analyzed Dante's battle with the dinosaur. _"Dante's combat prowess is improving at a drastic rate,"_ she thought._ "Earlier on, his recovery time was relatively slow and his blocking was sub-par. Now, it seems that he has learned to counter more effectively and his restoration time is quicker. Does this mean Dante is becoming less dependent on his zanpakuto's ability and is relying on his own skill?"_

"Nemu, there is something I wish to ask you," Kowa said. Nemu turned her attention to the raptor. "Exactly why did you choose to accompany Dante? Since you've found our location, you could have sent a battalion of shinigami here to soundly capture us."

"The reason is because I feel that their motives are just," Nemu said. "I know that these ryouka do not harbor any negative goals upon the Seireitei. Also, I feel a sense of obligation toward Dante."

"Is that so? You truly are a considerate woman, Nemu," Kowa said. "Perhaps that is why Dante has become fond of you."

Nemu turned away and focused her eyes on Dante. Luckily for her, the raptor was too busy watching its wielder to notice a hint of red coloring the young woman's cheeks. _"Perhaps the feeling is mutual…"_

Back on the battlefield, Dante was still trying to lure the dinosaur from the dust. Inside the thick cloud, the Deltadromeus was partially blinded from the airbourne sediment and had to rely on its keen since of smell to pinpoint the target's location. Once it located Dante, the creature navigated behind the target, its yellow eyes peeking through the cloud of dust as it approached. Dante quickly spun around as he sensed the dinosaur's oncoming sneak attack. However, he just missed the carnivore. _"This fool's close. I can feel it…"_ he thought just as a small gust of wind hit the back side of his body. _"It's almost like it's breathing down my neck… Like I can smell its nasty-ass breath…"_ He then stood still and realized what he was thinking and compared it to what he was experiencing. _"Wait a minute… Breathing...? And a nasty-ass smell...? Uh-oh."_ From behind, the Deltadromeus rushed forward and snapped down, its sharp teeth seizing its catch. The enemy shook its prize with vicious force and threw it to the ground. However, it inspected the supposed corpse and realized that it only had Dante's hooded cloak. Now in the hot seat and feeling outsmarted, the Deltadromeus gave a loud roar.

"Oh, I know you didn't just fuck up my gangsta cloak, nigga!" Dante shouted through the dust. "Don't you know that shit was sown by hand from my boy Bruce Willis after I hooked up with him at the club on the day his movie Die Hard 3 hit theaters back in '95 and he made it for me so I can be a matador? You best get ready for an ass-whoopin' you're 100 million years overdue for!" Just then, a laser shot through the cover and hit the dinosaur's left flank. The creature roared in pain and turned to the direction of the source, firing a blast in that direction. However, what the Deltadromeus failed to see was Dante coming from the other side. Before the enemy could react, Dante spun in the air, his swords slashing the foe's face. The noasaur growled as it reached at its face. "Sora and Lloyd ain't the only sword brothers that got hops!" gloated the black teen. The Deltadromeus turned on the maverick, its head coming toward its target. However, Dante backed into the cover before the enemy's jaws grabbed him.

"_Dante's now using the cloud as cover,"_ Nemu noted as she watched another beam hit the carnivorous colossus._ "By ducking in and out of the dust and using his speed, he is attacking the opponent on all sides. And thanks to the glasses he's wearing, his sight is not impaired by the dust. The only thing the larger Deltadromeus can do is hope its attacks can hit."_

Continuing his raid, Dante slashed and razed the enemy with powerful blasts and strong strikes. The damage was adding up fast. As the assault continued, the Deltadromeus began gathering power, biding time as Dante kept going strong. "Oh what's good, pimpin'!? You runnin' out of steam already!?" gloated the maverick as he sped around his competitor with amazing speed. The giant noasaur continued gathering spirit energy, its power levels increasing. From the hill nearby, Nemu and Kowa noticed the sudden buildup and watched warily. Soon, Dante also noticed the increase and stopped his attack. _"Somethin's up,"_ he thought. _"This fool's soul power's on the rise. I best shut this sucka down."_ Acknowledging the enemy's tactic, Dante hurried back in the dust and raced around to the enemies front. At this time, the dinosaur's spiritual pressure was reaching a critical point. Once Dante reached the location, he leapt forward, both zanpakutos held high and ready to slash. Before the black teen's strike connected, the Deltadromeus released its spiritual pressure with a loud roar. The black teen was thrown back and crashed to the ground before bouncing for about a few yards. The dust that surrounded them was also blown away.

Gathering his bearings, Dante rose to his feet, feeling the pain riddling his body. No doubt that sudden release caused internal bleeding. He turned to the Deltadromeus, which was sitting on the ground and panting. The enemy dinosaur's trump card expended its strength and making it critically weakened. _"That overgrown lizard's out of juice!"_ he thought. _"Since it's a sitting duck, I better make this hit count!"_ Charging his reiryoku, the black teen used another ability. "Lagi style: Agility Wing!" With his body covered in a faint yellow glow and swords in hand, he rushed toward the recuperating ceratosaurian. Ignoring the pain that might be indicating broken organs or bones, he sped forward with determination. Seeing Dante was arriving, the Deltadromeus fired its laser blasts. However, the black teen's boost in speed helped him evade the blasts. In less than a minute, Dante was in range to unleash the final blow. "Coup de gras with a straight-up hi-ougi!" he shouted. With the effects of Agility Wing coupled with his flash steps, Dante moved at blinding speed as he slashed the Deltadromeus in all directions. The enemy was helpless as it was at Dante's mercy. The black teen then jumped toward the enemy, ready to finish it off. "Gyakujo Taka Kiritateru!" he shouted as he slammed his swords straight on the dinosaur's head. The giant ememy gave its final roar as it fell in defeat just before Dante landed on the ground. The battle was finally over and the black teen gave a weak chuckle. "You just got knocked… the fuck out…" he said before he collapsed to the ground. Not long after, the body of the Deltadromeus disappeared without a trace.

Nemu and Kowa arrived on the scene with the lieutenant kneeling next to his body to check his pulse. It was rather shallow and his breathing was irregular. Still, Nemu smiled, knowing he was alive and that he won. "Before you, there was a rumor of a captain who mastered the bankai technique in less than three days. When I first heard of it, I only dismissed it as idle gossip," she said. "But that was before I watched you break that record. Now it appears I have no choice but to believe."

Kowa glanced down at the black teen, his head moving down to the black teen's body. Looking closely, the dromaeosaur noticed a small smile decorating Dante's face. _"Dante, you have accomplished a great deal today. Countless men before you have tried to obtain such a power. Now here you are, proving how deserving you to use such a sacred technique. My strength is now at your full disposal. I wish you all the success on the path you walk."_ Pulling its head back up, Kowa returned to Nemu, who continued staring at Dante. "He's a real catch, this one," the raptor spoke. Nemu turned to the dinosaur with some skepticism. The spirit only cracked a small smile. "Take care of him, would you?" Before long, the raptor's form was replaced with the tenshintai board and fell backwards to the ground.

Shortly after the fall of the board, Yoruichi arrived at the scene, picking up the device. "Well, that was impressive," the ex-captain said with satisfaction. "He actually managed to achieve one of his bankai forms in about a day. Kisuke would be proud to know that there was someone just as strong as Ichigo who mastered his device in such a short time."

"Miss Yoruichi," Nemu began. "Though Dante is victorious, the wounds he has suffered are quite grave. I believe without proper treatment, there is a chance he might be die."

"Don't worry," Yoruichi assured cooly. "There's a hot spring on the other side of that rock. Just place him in and the waters will heal his wounds."

"I understand. Thank you, Miss Yoruichi." Nemu carefully lifted Dante over her shoulder and followed Yoruichi to the hot spring.

* * *

An hour passed before Dante became conscious. Opening his eyes, the black teen placed his hand against his head as he felt as though his face were hit by a sledgehammer. "Oh man, what a headache…" he groaned. "I could use some sake…" As Dante dropped his left arm, the black teen heard a sudden splash and a warm wet feeling hitting his face. He looked down at his scratched limb and noticed it was underwater. Then he scanned the immediate area and realized that everything below the shoulders was submerged in water. Pulling his arm up again, he noticed the scratches that once decorated the limb were now gone. "That's pretty weird."

"Hey. Good to see you're back," a voice said from across the hot spring. He looked forward and saw Ichigo also laying in the pool, his head resting against a boulder where the water snaked into the pool. The orange-haired teen lounged in the pool, basking as the warm waters relaxed his body.

"Yo, Ich, what it is," said the black teen with a short wave of his hand. "Haven't seen you since the Senzaikyu. I hear you've been trainin' hard since I was gone."

"That's right. Yoruichi said that I can use bankai if I beat the spirit in my zanpakuto. Let me tell you, I had a feeling Old Man Zangetsu was tough, but having to pick out a sword from thousands of others is nuts. But then I found this one sword that I was sure I could beat him with had it not been for Yoruichi pulling the plug."

"Hey, man. I'm sure you'll get that blade tomorrow. Hell, you're Ichigo motherfuckin' Kurosaki. By the time you're finished, you'll be lookin' at this like it was child's play."

"Oh yeah?" Dante nodded as he rested his head on the edge of the spring. "Hey, what was all that commotion over there?" Ichigo asked, earning a raised eyebrow from the black teen. "I thought I saw you fighting some giant monster."

"Yep. That Deltadromeus was straight-up whack. Kowa made me have to pull out all the stops on that busta. But as you know, I is the real Don Mega. You should've seen me in the end there 'cause I was ballin'!" he said as he rose his arms like he was shooting a hoop.

"So you already reached bankai with one of your zanpakuto? Not bad for one day."

"No kidding. And tomorrow, I'm thinking it's gonna be double." With a sigh of relief, the black teen sunk his body deeper into the water, allowing the spring's healing properties to continue their work. Ichigo also lowered his form. After the fight he's had with his zanpakuto's spirit this was a well-deserved break. "Hey, Ich."

"What is it?"

"After we finish business with Rukia and all that, how about you and I go a round?"

"You mean you want a sparing match?" Ichigo asked as he opened one eye to see the black teen's smile come across his face. After a short thought, the orange-haired shinigami returned with a smirk of his own. "You're on, Dante. But don't think I'll go easy on you."

"Hey, you stole my line." Feeling an impending match coming in the near future, the two comrades exchanged competitive smirks. The water in the hot spring felt like it rose by a few degrees as their egos clashed.

However, their staring contest came to an abrupt end as Yoruichi and Nemu arrived at the edge of the hot spring. "Hey there, you two," Yoruichi called. "How's the water?"

"It's awesome," Ichigo said.

"For real! It feels like one of them saunas," Dante added. "But without the overcharged prices and unwanted fat dudes."

"It's that good, huh?" Yoruichi asked as she began to strip off their clothes. "Well then, how about we join the two of you."

Upon hearing this, two opposing reactions took place. With Ichigo, it was one of clear objection as he screamed with horror. For Dante, he was starry eyed with as a large lecherous smile on his face stretched from ear to ear. "No wait! Don't come in!" Ichigo shouted.

"Why? Is there something wrong?" Yoruichi asked innocently.

"Of course not!" Dante invited. "Jump on in! There's plenty of room!"

"Shut up, Dante!" Ichigo screamed. He then turned to the two women and shouted, "You're not supposed to be pulling off your pants in front of us like that!"

"Judging by his racing heart beat and tense muscles, it seems that Ichigo is feeling rather stressed," Nemu examined with a frown.

"Don't mind him," Dante continued. "He's being a big cry baby."

"Damn it, shut up!" Ichigo replied as he splashed water at the black teen's face.

"Dante has a point," Yoruichi replied. "You need to be a little more loose. Don't be so tense."

"Hey, stop making fun of me!" the orange-haired swordsman shouted as he covered his face. "Don't come in!" The last thing Ichigo heard was a small tap against the water's surface. He moved his hands out of his face and only saw a black cat swimming across the water.

"I don't know what you're getting so worked up about," Yoruichi said. She then turned to Ichigo, who seemed rather relieved yet surprised. Then she looked at Dante who frowned. "Well, it looks like you two were expecting something else. My, what perverts you are."

"I should just drown you!" Ichigo replied.

"Hey, where'd Nemu go?" Dante asked.

"I'm right here," a voice behind the black teen replied. Dante turned around and looked up. Standing just over him was Nemu in a black string bikini with the bra part revealing most of her bust (including the bottom portion of her breasts). Seeing this, the black teen's jaws hung open by the lieutenant's rather attractive figure. "I was just tightening the strings. So, what do you think?" she asked with a blush.

Once more, Ichigo was in shock while Dante gazed upon her with a stunned smile. Only after a few minutes did the black teen finally reply. "Hot damn, you is _fiiiiinnnne_!" he exclaimed. "I mean, look at them curves. And your… assets," Dante said as his eyes scanned Nemu's backside and chest. "Tell me, you wouldn't be an assassin would you? 'Cause you're killin' with that body!"

"Oh my," Nemu said as she turned her head to the side in order to hide the beat red now on her face. "Am I really that noticeable?"

"Noticeable!? You barely have any clothes on!" Ichigo shouted.

"Yo, dog," Dante called. "That's what bathing suits are for."

"That's not what I mean! Where did you even get that thing in the first place?"

"Actually, it was Yoruichi who gave me this swimwear," Nemu answered as she slowly went into the water. "She said that she had no need for it and decided to lend it to me."

"Of course. Why am I not surprised," Ichigo replied as he rested his back against the large rocks. The four were silent as the soothing waters relieved their bodies. A small smile grew on Nemu's face. It's been a long time since she felt so at ease. "You know what I'm starting to realize?" Ichigo began. "That this place almost looks like the one under Urahara's Shop."

"So you just noticed," Yoruichi said. "Well, we tried to model that area after this one after we built it."

"Wait, so you built this place?"

"Yes. Back when Kisuke and I were kids, we wanted a place to play. So we built this area and made it our secret little hideout."

"This is a secret hideout?" Dante asked. "No offense, but I don't think a 'Do Not Enter' sign would keep anyone out of this big room."

"Well, during the time, we were the only ones who knew of this place and because of the location, no one would think of coming over here."

_"Makes since,"_ Dante thought. _"After all, an execution spot doesn't exactly say 'funhouse.'"_

"After we grew up, I became a member of the Stealth Force while Kisuke joined the Gotei 13. Still, the two of us would always stop by to hone our skills."

Ichigo was shocked by this and turned to Yoruichi. "So hold on! You mean you two-!?" before the orange-haired warrior could continue, he fell in the water after seeing the dark-skinned woman's naked body.

Dante noticed this and laughed like at his misfortune. "Haha! You just got punked, son!"

"Oh? So this is a topless pool? I had no idea," Nemu said. Dante turned to the lieutenant with a quizzical expression, not expecting to hear Nemu say such a thing. He then saw her top come off and placed on the side of the pool, revealing her rather sizable features. Dante silently stared for about a moment as his brain processed the information. "Holy Kubo…" he whispered as he stared at them like a crow on a shiny object (or two). At this time, he did not notice the blood flowing from his nose or that he was sinking into the water. "I might be feeling lightheaded, but I still think this is the best day of my life."

A few minutes passed for the male occupants of the pool to calm down. Once they mellowed down, the young men turned away from the women, their faces a full shade of red. Yoruichi examined the two with a clever grin. "Well, I understand Ichigo's reasons for acting like he is. But Dante, I don't know why you're turned around."

"Well, I am a young black man with sexual desires. Which makes it pretty hard to pay attention when there are two pairs of titties hovering near your face."

"If you want, I can put back on the bra section of my swimsuit," Nemu said humbly.

"No, no!" Dante quickly replied as he shook his hand. "You just… Just have some fun… It's almost Spring Break and since Cancoon's closed… let's have some laughs."

"What the hell are you talking about!? It's the middle of the summer!" Ichigo hollered.

"Right… Course it is."

The flustered substitute groaned. There was no point in arguing with this guy if all he was going to get was a migraine. "Look, how about we get back to what we were talking about. That Hat-and-Clogs is really a shinigami too."

"That's right," Yoruichi said.

"Makes since. I always wondered how he knew so much about the Soul Society. Plus the fact that he had a zanpakuto. Tell me more about the man who trained me."

"The truth is that he was the captain of Squad 12. Also, he was the one who founded the Shinigami Research and Development Institute, serving as its first chief."

Ichigo gasped. "I had no idea! Who could have thought he was such a big shot."

"Squad 12, huh?" Dante said. Ichigo turned his attention to the black teen's back. "Talk about a coincidence. Last night, Uryu and I had a run in with the current head hancho. Let me tell you, that fool makes me look sane." He then turned to Nemu, making sure to not fall below the shoulder line. "No offense, my rather ample vixen."

"None taken, Dante," the lieutenant agreed with a flat tone. "Actually, his eccentricity is well known among the soul society. Of course, that always leads to problems relating to ethics and morals."

"Okay, so who's this Mayuri guy?" Ichigo asked.

"Well back then, I remember he was the third seat in Squad 12 and one of the most gifted geniuses in Soul Society. Back then, Mayuri and the lieutenant at the time Hiyori Sarugaki had a fierce rivalry over who had the most authority under Kisuke. He said their bickering nearly drove him nuts."

"That does sound like my father alright," Nemu said nostalgically.

"Wait, you said you were with Uryu when you faced that guy?" Ichigo asked. "Where is he? And what about the others?"

"Well, I think Uryu was heading here and I didn't catch Orihime. As for Ganju and Hanataro, I think they were thrown in the slammer after that little fight with you and that Kuchiki guy." Ichigo sat back silently, thinking about what he could have done. However, he knew no matter how he went about it, e realized it would have all been in vain. "Look, you were able to get to the tower before, right? Then all you need to do is get up there again. After you get that bankai technique of yours down, you gonna be a straight-up pimp. Ain't no one gonna mess wit' your swag. You feel me?"

Ichigo turned to Dante with some confusion, but knew he had a point. With the bankai technique he was so close to mastering, he knew its power would be more than enough to save Rukia and his comrades. "I still have no idea what you said," the orange-haired swordsman said. "But what I do know is that when I reach bankai, I'll save Rukia and I won't let anyone stand in my way of that."

Yoruichi and Dante smiled at their comrade's resolve. They two wanted to do whatever they could to help Ichigo succeed. Nemu gave a stoic frown as she eyed both young men. Hearing how much they wanted to succeed in their mission, the lieutenant began to formulate an idea of how she might be of assistance.

* * *

Author's Note 1: Well that was a long chapter. Took me a whole week to finish this baby. Anyway, for a few of you that noticed, there is an attack Dante has learned called 'Gyakujo Taka Kiritateru.' For the many readers who don't know, it's a literal translation for 'Frenzy Falcon Slash.' I think it's a pretty fitting attack for someone of Dante's caliber. While we're on the subject of translations, I'm pretty sure I owe the readers a definition of Dante's zanpakutos. 'Akumu hi Ryuujin' is the scythe which literally means 'Nightmare Flying Dragon God.' For the gamers out there, this is based on the translation to what the word Dragonmare (which Dante morphed into) means in Panzer Dragoon Orta: the Nightmare Dragon. As for 'Kowa ro Shii Maru', that's a translation I found on a Japanese version on Wikipedia used to translate Deinonychus. It literally means 'Clawed Fear of the New Route.' And there you have it. Some food for thought. Hope you enjoyed the chapter.


	13. Chapter 12

Ch. 12

After leaving the hot spring, Dante and Ichigo put their clothes back on their bodies after drying off. The rips and tears which riddled their wear were stitched up by Nemu before she entered the pool (Ichigo compared her handy work to Uryu's sewing abilities). Now the two of them were lying on the ground and taking a well deserved sleep. They knew that the next session would require every ounce of energy they had.

Four hours passed since the two went to sleep. At this time, Nemu (who was not too far away) awoke from her light sleep. She turned to the two young men who were lying on the ground, covered under blankets given by Yoruichi earlier. The young lieutenant walked over to Dante and sat on her knees. She gazed at the black teen with a pondering frown. _"Before I met you, my only purpose was to serve Master Mayuri and follow his every whim,"_ she thought. _"But now I find my self aiding in your cause. Perhaps I still feel indebted to you after you spared my father. Or maybe it is my curiosity of the unknown and your skill that has me impressed."_ Nemu then placed a hand on Dante's head, gently running her fingers along his forehead. Feeling a slight tingle, the black teen smiled as he turned to his side for added comfort. Seeing this, the lieutenant also gave a small smile. Looking up, Nemu turned to the entrance and saw Yoruichi leaving the area. She stood up, wondering what exactly the ex-corps commander was doing. Seeing both of the young men still asleep and safe, the attractive lieutenant decided to follow suit.

* * *

Sitting outside sitting above the entrance of the training area, Yoruichi stared off into the distance. The morning sun's light started to bask the Soul Society in its orange glow as it loomed over the horizon. On her perch, the young woman thought over the training regimen she was placing the two shinigami through as well as how much time they had. Was it possible to extend the duration? Would the two be able to survive in time to save Rukia? Such questions riddled her mind.

Even so, Yoruichi noticed that she was being watched from behind. She carefully slid her arm into her shirt and slowly pulled out a weapon from its spot. It was a small shuriken star. Quickly, the woman turned around and was ready to land a headshot at the supposed target. However, she froze when she realized that the person was Nemu. The lieutenant only stood stoically, unflinched by nearly being on the receiving end of a sharp projectile. "Nemu! Sorry about that!" Yoruichi said apologetically as she returned her weapon back in her shirt. "You shouldn't sneak up on people like that."

"I am sorry for coming unannounced," the 12th Division lieutenant said with a nod. "I was curious as to why you were coming out here."

"I see," Yoruichi said. "I was just thinking of whether or not I should give Ichigo and Dante more time."

"Really. What have you decided?"

Standing up, Yoruichi turned around to the lieutenant. "Well, seeing that we have a total of eight more days until Rukia's execution, I've decided to give the two another twenty-four hours to prepare."

"That's good to hear. I'm sure that the two will be able to fulfill their objective with least difficulty thanks to the added training."

"Exactly," the ex-captain affirmed. Studying the young lieutenant, Yoruichi noticed that there was something off about her. Even with her rather emotionless gaze, the ninja-like warrior knew she had something on her mind. "Nemu, is there something wrong? You seem troubled?"

"Troubled?" Nemu asked quixotically.

Yoruichi only smiled playfully. She knew that the young lady had something on her mind. Then it came to her after remembering her reactions in the past near a certain black teen. "Come on, you can tell me," she said. "Could it be guy problems?"

Nemu glanced with some skepticism. She quickly turned her head down, hoping to hide the red in her cheeks. "I do not know what you mean by 'guy problems.'"

"You know. Maybe you want some advice on men. Is there anyone your interested in? Ichigo? Perhaps it's Dante?" Upon mentioning the black teen's name, Nemu's face reddened even more. Noticing her reaction, Yoruichi chuckled lightly. "So it is Dante who's on your mind."

"I keep telling myself that my reason for joining Dante was for a subject to study. Yet, I feel that I may have a different reason." A small smile formed on her face as she remembered how Dante healed and helped her in the past. "He's one of only a few people to actually treat me with kindness. Even if he has ulterior motives for doing so, I feel a need to stand by his side."

"Really?" Yoruichi eyed her with a hand under her chin. Rubbing her chin, the dark-skinned woman chortled. "I think I know what's going on," she said to the lieutenant. Nemu turned to the woman with an interested glance. "I believe you like might have a crush on him."

"A crush?" questioned Nemu.

"A strong feeling of compassion and attraction for someone."

Nemu turned away, unsure if what Yoruichi said was true. After all, her father always told her that such signs of emotion only got in the way of work. Even so, it may explain why she has been acting the way she has. "I'm not sure," Nemu responded with uncertainty. "Still, even with his apparent flaws, it may be possible that I feel some affinity for Dante. But only as a comrade, of course," the lieutenant quickly corrected.

"Of course," Yoruichi repeated. "Here's my advice: you should give this some time. Think about whether or not to pursue this as a serious relationship."

Nemu nodded in agreement. Perhaps this was all just a small phase that will soon pass. Yet in her mind, she felt some joy in having her first crush. However, she also felt rather surprised that it was toward a well documented psychopath. Shaking her thoughts out of her head for the time being, she joined Yoruichi in watching the sun rise over the Soul Society. A new day was coming.

* * *

"Yoruichi! Hey Yoruichi, where are you!" Ichigo called.

"Could you pipe down," Dante said groggily as he stood against a rock, rubbing the temples of his forehead. "Some of us just woke up from a nice dream involving me getting freaky Freema Agyeman from the 2007-2008 episodes of Doctor Who in a sauna, making a sex tape with a high panda name Tim who's the cameraman using an old style camcorder. God that was a good dream." Thanks to Ichigo's yelling and screaming, the black swordsman woke up prematurely with a migraine. His spirit energy still has not fully recovered from the previous day's fight. Now at the mercy of a hard-hitting sensation in his head thanks to Ichigo's calls, the black teen scowled at the substitute soul reaper with deathly eyes.

At this time, Ichigo returned his glanced with one of confusion as two things popped into his mind. One being that he was surprised that this individual even watched such a show. The second being that even in his dreams as he slept, Dante was crazy. Still, the shinigami mentally pushed these observations aside. He was more interested in completing his bankai training. "Man, where the hell is she?" Ichigo continued. "It's been an hour and there's no sign of her."

"Maybe she couldn't sleep because of how loud your hair is," an irritable Dante muttered.

"What was that you said?" Ichigo asked as he whipped around to the black teen.

"Nothin'. I said I'm wondering where Nemu is," the black teen said innocently as he placed his hands in his pant pockets. "Maybe the two of them went somewhere."

"Really? And what exactly do you think they're doing?"

Dante paused as he thought it over. After a few seconds passed, an idea came into mind as he figured, what he believed, to be a logical answer to the question at hand. "They probably went to grab a bottle of milk and some catnip," he shared. A brief silence took place between the two as Ichigo regretted asking Dante for his input. "What? I think it makes sense," the black teen said defensively. "Hell, I'd do it."

Hearing this, a vein popped on the orange-haired teen's forehead. "Yoruichi! Get over here!" he shouted once more. "Don't leave me here alone with this nutjob!"

Dante only scoffed. "Pfft. I maybe a nutjob, but at least my hair doesn't give me away from a distance of two football fields," he quipped. "What next, you gonna put on an orange jumpsuit, too?"

"That's it!" Ichigo shouted as he tackled Dante. Now the two were rolling around on the dirt, spouting threats and insults. There was no real injury as the two only remained on the ground and their swords were far from their reach. Still, neither one of them wanted their opponent to gain the upper hand.

As their mudslinging, dirt-rolling shenanigans continued, they did not notice Nemu and Yoruichi standing a few feet away from their scuffle. Both women watched as the roughhousing males started kicking up dust as their fight continued, hands and heads poking out of the cloud periodically. Nemu turned to Yoruichi with a flat glance and monotonously asked, "Are they training in hand-to-hand combat?"

"No. They're just being boys," Yoruichi sighed as she rested her hands against her hips. The dark-skinned woman clapped her hands together, hoping to grab the two soul reaper's attention. "Alright you two, that's enough! Quit playing around down there!"

Upon hearing the woman's voice, both Dante and Ichigo froze in place with looks of embarrassment plastered on their faces. At the moment, Ichigo was just over Dante, holding one of his wrists while Dante, who was on his back, was also holding one of Ichigo's wrists and had a foot pressed against the substitute shinigami's stomach to keep him from overpowering him. "Um… Hey there, Yoruichi…" the orange-haired teen said. "Where were you two? I've been calling you for a while."

"We were just outside discussing matters about your training," Nemu answered. "So why are you two fighting one another? Is this some type of crude training style?"

"Well, that's a good question… You see…"

"He started it!" Dante quickly yelped. "I kept saying no, but he wouldn't stop!"

Ichigo turned his attention to the black teen. "Damn it! You bastard!" he hissed before the two continued their struggle.

Yoruichi only shook her head as she watched the two supposedly powerful shinigami going at it like a couple of Kindergartners. Nemu only watched stoically, feeling that there was no sense in getting involved with immature affairs. "I'll give them ten minutes to work this out," Yoruichi said with Nemu nodding in agreement.

* * *

Two hours passed and training had started to commence for Ichigo. Facing off against his zanpakuto's spirit Zangetsu, the orange-haired teen was starting to match strikes with the black coat wearing swordsman. As Yoruichi and Nemu observed the battle, Dante rested on top of a nearby boulder, slowly restoring his spirit energy. Even with the clashing of swords echoing in the air, the black teen seemed unnerved. He opened his eyes from time to time before returning to his short cat, or rather, raptor nap.

Suddenly, a loud explosion shook the training ground. The ceiling above was covered in a cloud of dust. Hearing this, Dante sat up in an instant as Yoruichi and Nemu turned with shock. There was no way anyone could have found their secret spot. Nemu watched with a mix of curiosity and caution. It wasn't possible that someone could have followed her or sensed anything through the thick walls of this mountain. "I was wondering what you might be up to. Holed in this place," a voice called. "I take it that's your zanpakuto's true form with you." Just then, an object descending from above crashed hard into the ground before the group. The spiritual pressure that both Ichigo and Dante felt was intense, but also familiar. "You're using this place to secretly train for your bankai, are you not? Sounds like fun." The smoke soon cleared and revealed a soul reaper that they had encountered a few days ago. "Allow me to train along with you." With red hair, a tattooed covered face, a wide smile, and his sword Zabimaru in its first release resting over the back of his shoulders, the group was once again in the presence of Squad 5's lieutenant, Renji Abarai.

"Renji…" Ichigo replied speechlessly, his eyes shrunk by his sudden entrance.

"Hey, it's Lieutenant No-Brows!" Dante quickly called out as he slid off his rock to join the group below. "Tight entrance back there, Red. A little lengthy, but still pretty cool."

"What did you just-!?" Before the lieutenant could continue, the shinigami calmed himself. There were more important things at hand. "You're lucky I have better things to do, kid," Renji said to the black teen. Dante stepped back, holding up submissive hands. The redhead then turned to the still stunned Ichigo. "Let me guess, you're thinking 'what the hell are you doing here?' To tell you the truth, it's not for any special reason. It's just that we're out of time and I wanted somewhere to hone my skills in peace."

"What do you mean we're out of time Lieutenant Abarai?" Nemu asked as she walked forward.

"So this is where you've been," Renji said. "Fancy seeing you here. I had a feeling there was no way you'd allow yourself to be abducted."

"Say what now?" Dante asked as he tilted his head. The black teen wondered what the shinigami meant by that statement.

"Answer the question!" Ichigo replied as he wanted to get to the point. "What are you talking about!?"

Renji's smile was replaced with a serious frown. There was no point in dancing around the subject. The news he was about to share would not be pleasant. "Fine, I guess it wouldn't hurt to tell you that much," he began. "It's about Rukia's execution. They rescheduled it."

"It's been rescheduled?"

"To noon. Tomorrow." Hearing this revelation, a wave of shock took the group by storm. "I hate to admit it, but the truth of the matter is that at my current level, I wouldn't be able to save Rukia. That's why I came here to train." Ichigo hissed as Dante stood silently. "Don't worry. I'm not here to get in the way of your bankai training. In fact, I'm almost close to achieving it. I've already learned how to manifest it. Like this." Using his spiritual energy and channeling it through his sword, Renji summoned his zanpakuto's spirit. The creature stood next to its master on all fours taking the appearance of a snow white baboon that had purple stripes and a pink face with a tail that ended in a snake's head. "So if it's all the same to you, how about I do my own thing here."

"Hey, nice trick," Dante said. "So what? Should I give it a banana or a rat?"

"You talk a lot of smack, kid," Renji said. "But I doubt you could even master bankai."

"Eh! Wrong!" Dante replied. "If you want to know, Browless Wonder, I already did!" With folded arms, Dante stood with a triumphant smile. Renji only looked at him with a mixture of disbelief and whimsy. "Haha! That's right. I, the top ranked soldier of the Wu-Tang Killa Beez, the master blaster who gots the maddest beats, has achieved the great B. Give it up to yo' boy! To tell you the truth, it ain't surprising 'cause whenever I walk I is money!" he said with a bow.

Clearly, Renji had no idea what the black teen had spouted from his mouth. He turned to Ichigo and pointed at Dante. "What the hell did he just say?" the redhead asked.

"Don't look at me," Ichigo replied as he scratched his head. "I usually ignore him until he shuts up or goes away."

The lieutenant only shook his head as he returned to the conversation. "If you did learn bankai, then showing me the manifestation of your spirit should be no hastle." Hearing this, Dante's expression became rather blank with widened eyes and a froze stance. Seeing his reaction, Renji only scoffed. "Just as I thought. You can't even do that."

"Hey, I could!" Dante replied defensively. "It's just that they have a habit of picking when they want to show…"

While the two swordsmen bickered back and forth about their power, Yoruichi was paralyzed in shock. There was so much that both Dante and Ichigo still needed to learn. However, since time was now running out, Yoruichi's plans were also sent spinning. Was it even possible to train these two on such a slimmer of borrowed time? "Noon, tomorrow… It's not possible…" she thought aloud. "There's no way Ichigo could reach bankai that quickly."

Yoruichi's thoughts were broken by the sound of Ichigo's shattered sword. "Hey, does that mean you're gonna give up on me?" he asked. "Don't tell you're gonna toss everything away. After all, you're the one who put me on this program to begin with."

"Don't do this, Ichigo!" she replied. "What if you still haven't mastered bankai before-!?"

"There is no what ifs," Ichigo interrupted. "It's do or die. Failure is not an option. They may have changed the deadline for tomorrow," the orange-haired teen said before he smashed the last of his blade, "but that just means we'll have to finish our training for today!" Ready to prove to Yoruichi his seriousness, Ichigo's spiritual pressure rose with to high levels. The blue aura that shrouded his body intensified. Everyone on field felt the immense amount of energy. Seeing his determination, Dante and Renji smiled. They were just as driven to succeed in their quest as the substitute shinigami. Even with a gloomy demeanor, Nemu was very surprised by the teen's sudden display of power. Never before has she felt such an amount of reiatsu all at once from just one individual.

"Count me in," Dante said as he stepped forward, earning a glance from a still unsure Yoruichi. "There's some shit that needs to be taken care of. If I was able to master bankai with one of my zanpakuto, then you know fo' sure that I can do it again."

"I advise that you should allow the training to continue," the female lieutenant said. "Their chances of success are higher than you may believe."

"Haha! Did you hear that? I think it's a unanimous decision."

Hearing this, Yoruichi was now put on the spot. She could quit the training for safety reason and amount of time. Perhaps it was possible to use Dante as their ace, seeing as he already achieved one of his bankai forms. However, the ex-captain knew that using Dante would be like playing with a ticking time bomb: he was an unpredictable maverick who had his own goals in mind. Also, as strong as he was, his spirit energy was unstable. Then there was the matter of Ichigo's willingness and obligation to fulfill his goal. There was no way the orange-haired teen would sit back as someone else fought his battle. A moment passed as the four waited for Yoruichi's next plan of action. Would she bow out due to precautionary measures, or would she continue the regimen. _"I hope I'm doing the right thing, Kisuke…"_ she thought. "Alright, fine. I'll continue the training."

"Alright!" Ichigo replied as Dante held a triumphant fist in the air. Hearing this, Renji nodded and continued on to another part of the training ground to sharpen his skills. "Thank you, Yoruichi!"

"Just remember, this is only until the start of the execution," Yoruichi said. "You must achieve bankai before then, Ichigo. Otherwise all of your training will be for nothing and we will have to use what we have. Understood?"

"Like I said, there is no room for failure. You can count on me." With that said, Ichigo continued on with his training.

"And Dante," she said as she turned to the black teen. "If you choose to pursue this next lesson, you must be prepared to complete your second bankai release by the same time. If you don't, then I will be forced to terminate your training."

"I'm all set," Dante replied. "So how about we start it up. 'Sides, I promised my boy Akumu that I'd go another round. And what better time is there than right now?"

"I see. And I can sense that your reiatsu is fully charged." Yoruichi smirked. "I'll go get a spare Tenshintai."

"Sweet!" Dante said as he watched Yoruichi leave to the entrance. The black teen smiled as he thought about his upcoming battle with the dragonmare spirit. He remembered his last bout, how he had to use an old scythe to fight the genetic terror. It was one of the toughest matches he fought in. Still, that didn't stop him from smiling.

"Dante, are you sure you wish to go through with this?" Nemu asked. Dante turned to face her, watching her with a quizzical eye. "You do realize that you have less than a day to complete this task."

"I know. I know," Dante replied. "Still, I want to give this a shot. If it's a chance to get a little stronger, why not? Besides, I'm not just doing this to help Strawberry, but I have some ends I need to tie up."

Hearing this, Nemu rose a brow at the black teen. "I do not understand, Dante. Isn't saving Ms. Kuchiki your primary concern?"

Dante folded his arms and stood quietly for a minute. He pondered that the only way for Nemu to understand would be to share his past history with her. _"Maybe I should tell her,"_ the black teen thought. _"It couldn't hurt."_ "Alright, let me explain. You might want to take a seat. This is gonna take a bit." Hearing this, Dante and Nemu sat on the ground as the black teen discussed his origins with the Squad 12 lieutenant. Listening to his story, Nemu couldn't help but feel some sympathy for him. Abducted and tested on at such a young age was an atrocity for anyone to bear. Knowing all the pain and torture he had endured, the lieutenant understood why the young man had such a colorful mentality. Hearing about his past, the soul reaper couldn't help but think back to the experiments her master put her through and all the suffering she experienced. Still, Nemu kept a flat and emotionless face through the duration. "…And that's my story," the mock soul reaper said. "I tried to find my fam soon after I escaped, but all traces turned empty. So I wandered around, going to school for a bit before being a hired sword. A few years later, my ass is thrown here."

"So you believe that someone here in the Seireitei is responsible for what happened to you." Nemu said.

"That's right. Your pops might have ditched the blades, but someone picked them up and tossed them in my world instead. Plus I remember that those geeks were being paid by the same guy."

"I am sorry for your loss," the lieutenant said with an apologetic nod.

"Please, don't," Dante said. "There's no sense in saying sorry if you ain't involved. 'Sides, whoever did this is gonna get served a large can of whoop ass with a cold cup of sweet revenge."

"So tell me what happened to the scientists? Did they survive?"

"The lab coats? Well, you know when I told you that after they stopped my heart, I went all berserk? I don't know about the details, but let's just say they became permanently unemployed," the black swordsman explained in a cold and malevolent tone. His red eyes produced a murderous glare as he remembered how his oppressors fell by his hands. Nemu could feel a slight change in Dante's spiritual pressure as the heat rose a few degrees. Of course, the lieutenant knew that his animosity was not directed at her. Still, she felt uneasy in his current mode. Noticing his temper, Dante took a deep breath and calmed himself down. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt Nemu in any way. "My bad. Guess I freaked you out there, huh?"

"I understand what has befallen you to some extent. If anything, I almost envy you." Dante turned to the lieutenant with a risen brow. "Even though your methods were less than amicable, you were able to gain some freedom. Perhaps if life were any different, I would also have done the same."

"Nemu…" Dante looked at her sympathetically. Unlike him, Nemu's did not have a choice. The person she calls 'father' is also the same man who has experimented on her time and time again. Still, he is also the one who brought her into the world and gave her life. After a few minutes of silence, the black teen decided to change the subject. If there was anything he learned, it was that there was no point in drudging around in broken memories. "Well, how about we drop this little chat," Dante said as the two of them got back to their feet.

"Yes," Nemu agreed. "I hope I did not cause any unnecessary wound to be reopened."

"Naw, girl! I told you, it's all good! That's all the past. I'm about what's up in the here and now," Dante replied with a smile. "Besides, it's good to chat with someone else who gets where I'm coming from. Well, aside from my swords." The black teen placed a hand on the female lieutenant's shoulder, catching her off guard for a second. "Thanks for the ear, Nemu."

For a moment, Nemu was rather speechless. Her cheeks felt were red and warm and her heart made quick beats. Quickly, she turned her face away, hoping the black teen did not notice. "N-Not at all, Dante. I'm glad I could be of service."

From behind, Yoruichi approached the two. Held under her arm was a Tenshintai board. Dante turned around, a smirk decorating his face. "I have the device ready," the ex-captain said. "Are you sure you want to go through with this?"

"You know it!" the black teen responded with a hand on one of his swords. "Come on! I'm just itching for some action!"

"Alright, alright," Yoruichi replied as she stood the white board up. With the final adjustments made, the dark-skinned woman back away from the tool and stood next to Nemu. "Go on ahead. It's all yours."

"Burst with the fury of the future! Akumu hi Ryuujin!" Dante shouted as his zanpakuto assumed its scythe form. He ran toward the tenshintai, his scythe spinning in his right hand. Once he was a few feet away, the black teen leapt forward and slammed his blade straight into the center of the board's chest. Feeling the sudden build up of spiritual energy, Dante leapt back as a pillar of fire consumed the tenshintai. Dante, Nemu, and Yoruichi watched as a pair of hand-like wings spread open on either side of the fire. Then a shrill roar echoed through the training grounds, breaking through the tower and sending small embers around the immediate area.

Now the three were in the presence of the red dragonmare itself, Akumu hi Ryuujin. The beast roared as it took a couple small steps toward Dante, its jaws inches away from his form. "Dante, we meet once more," the creature's voice echoed. "You have grown stronger since our last encounter."

"Fo' real, man," the black teen replied. "I've been busy doin' my thang. You know, pimpin' up this bitch and takin' names."

"Indeed. Now why have you summoned me?"

"Why else, homeboy? So I could get my bankai. See, as strong as I am, I need a little more punch. And besides, our last battle was a blast. So why not play again?"

Akumu chortled at Dante's remark, its jaws moving slowly. "Is that a fact? Very well. Then I shall acquiesce to your proposal." Akumu rose its head and screeched loudly. The below shook violently, causing Dante, Nemu, and Yoruichi to try and hold steady footing. A couple of minutes passed before a large portal opened above Akumu and the quake began to subside.

Looking up at the distortion, all Dante saw was a red sky and a crescent moon peaking through the rocky ceiling. He looked with narrowed eyes as he thought about where he saw such an image. Then he remembered. "I know that place. That's your turf isn't it?"

"Correct. Our battle shall take place in this space. Separated from your comrades to ensure more room and little distraction." Dante gazed in awe at the world above. This was similar to the rip Kowa opened which brought forth that Deltadromeus. "As part of your initiation, I shall allow you to use my weapon in battle. Using it's hooked tail, the dragonmare pried the scythe from its back and tossed it to Dante. The pole weapon spun in the air before its long blade stabbed into the tan earth before him. "Enter the portal if you wish. Once there, I will give you more information on your challenge. Know this: you will need all of your skill and power for this test. Failure will mean almost certain death." The message was buried into Dante's mind as Akumu flapped its massive wings, hovering to the rip above. The dragon's tail lingered below its body as it made its way back to its territory.

Dante whistled, knowing full well that this would be tougher than his previous battle with the bio-engineered terror. "This may be the last time we meet," Nemu said. Dante turned toward the lieutenant. "You're sure you want to go through with this?"

"Like I said, I'm all set," the black teen answered confidently. "In fact, I'm a bit psyched over this. Trust me, I'll be back and even more powerful than ever."

Nemu nodded as a small smile decorated her face. "I know you will. Just be sure to return alive," the lieutenant said with a faithful tone.

Dante's smile grew from ear to ear, brimming with confidence. "You got it. See you soon!" Quickly, Dante turned and ran forward. Bouncing between one rock to another, the black teen managed to grab the end of the dragonmare's tail. With his grip held tight on the handle-like end, the young swordsman leisurely entered the rift, which closed upon his entry.

Back on the ground, Nemu stood still as she looked up at where Dante was last seen. All she hoped for was that the black teen return to her in one piece. "I hope your training becomes a success, Dante…"

* * *

Standing under the familiar red sky, Dante was back in the world of the dragonmare; in Akumu's territory. The difference now being that lightning broke through the sky, ripping through the landscape. His scythe was cared on his shoulders with his arms wrapping over the weapon to keep it in place. He scanned his surroundings, inspecting the landscape before him. The same sandstorm still brew just as it did before. Suddenly, the sound of thunder boomed through the heavens. Dante quickly turned a one-eighty, his scythe now held in front of him as he stood face to face with the spirit Akumu hi Ryuujin. "Here we are once more, ready to face each other in the heat of battle," the large dragon's voice echoed. "This is the column where you and I first had our duel. A duel that tested your will to live. Now the battlefield beckons our return to see whether or not you are truly ready for bankai."

Dante gave a light nod. "So what are the rules, man?"

"The rules are quite simple, Dante. I want to see how strong you have become over your journey. As a warrior, one must be able to use their abilities to fullest extent. Which means in this battle, you are allowed to use your berserks and morphing abilities. The only rule is that you do not use Kowa ro Shii Maru unless it is sealed."

"Let me guess," Dante began. "You were feeling a little left out in that part of the training, were you? Does someone need a hug?"

Hearing the question, the dragonmare shook its head. "Don't toy with me," the creature replied in an irritated voice. "As I was saying, that is the only stipulation. Now! Show me the power that lies within!" Akumu spread its wings and shrieked loudly, poised and ready to attack.

Dante charged and jumped forward, spinning toward the dragon at high speed. However, the enemy used its long tail to swat the black teen back. It then charged head-on, ready to ram Dante off the platform. However, Dante managed to roll out of the beast's path and return to his feet. He then swiped his scythe, firing a few strong particle beams, hitting the target's side and the foe's control core. The dragonmare slid from the impact, feeling the flanking attack's effects. Turning its head to Dante's location, the creature launched a round of laser bullets. All Dante could do was use his agility to dodge the green blasts. He then dashed forward and struck at the enemy's head with powerful slashes from his scythe. The dragonmare felt the strong string of blows hitting its mouth and neck, its wounds opening from the chainsaw-like roof sheering into its armor. Quickly, the dragon lunged forward and snapped its jaws at Dante. The black teen was tossed back from the blow and fell to the ground. Still, he managed to return to his feet and was about to use another berserk. However, Akumu, who was now hovering, spewed five burning hot balls of mucus. The five searing objects came down quickly, barely giving Dante enough time to avoid their landing. Though he was out of the direct path, their impact still sent him in the air before crashing hard to the ground. "What? Don't tell me that was all you can muster?" Akumu replied.

Dante willed himself to his feet, a couple of bruises decorating his face. Looking up at the dragon, Dante wiped off the small trace of blood on the corner of his mouth. "I'm not done yet, son!" he replied. "There's still some fight in me!"

"In all honesty, I am not surprised." The dragonmare swooped down, its clawed feet stretched to grab Dante. The black teen fired lasers at the foe, but was ultimately snagged in the clutches of the dragon.

Now in the air, Dante tried desperately to free himself from the beast. Of course, that was impossible considering that its strong grip was enough to crush steel. The higher the flew, the more violent the lightning bolts struck, Dante tried his best to shield himself from the electricity. "Damn it!" he replied. "I might be insane, but even I think this is overboard!"

"Time to see if you have earned your wings, Dante," screeched Akumu as he looked down on his prey. "This is not just a battle for advancement. It's a battle of power and survival. Let's see you resolve!"

Dante snapped his neck to the dragon as the creature eased its grip. Before the black teen could even respond, the enemy opened its claws and watched his descent. The form of the dragon became smaller and smaller as the black teen plummeted to his demise. "_Even if this world was a work of fiction,"_ Dante thought, _"my black ass is gonna end up the mayor of Splatsville in a few seconds."_ Dante turned to his right hand and realized that he still had Akumu hi Ryuujin firmly in his grip. The black teen stared at the scythe for a moment before inspiration struck his mind. _"Hold on! I ain't no pancake yet!"_ Just as time returned to normal, the black teen turned over and spread out his limbs like a parachutist.

Above, Akumu watched as its wielder suddenly turned himself over. Curiosity set in for only a short time as the beast watched Dante's body being engulfed by the thick sandstorm below. Akumu growled while it waited patiently for some sign as to whether or not Dante survive. Bared fangs and flexing toes signaled its anxiety. The camera near the dragon's control core turned side to side and zoomed in and out. However, all the sand and other metal particles made it almost impossible to catch anything.

Just then, a power stream of bright red light shot out from the dust storm, hitting Akumu square in its underbelly. The beast screeched and shook violently during the lengthy attack until its end. The dragonmare turned down and noticed a large portion of dust cleared to the side, revealing a large sized figure in the center. It was the slender-built powerhouse: Heavy Wing, a surefire sign that Dante was still alive. After using its signature berserk, Manual Laser, the dragon was rather winded. "Check yo' self, fool!" the dragon screeched before taking another breath. "…I'm too badass to fall flat! …Ya heard!?"

"_As I expected. A guerilla tactic,"_ Akumu thought. _"Dante used the cover of the sandstorm to morph and then glided down safely. Then he used a surprise attack in the form of an exclusive berserk only known to that form."_ The dragonmare displayed its teeth, slowly opening its maw as if it were smiling. "Not a bad play, Dante," the creature chortled. "Your use of cover is impressive. However, you must remember that this is my world."

"Maybe. But you're _my_ zanpakuto," Dante replied. "I not gonna throw in the towel! Hate to break this to you, but I'm going through you and getting' my bankai." With that said, Dante spread his net-covered wings and screeched toward the hovering enemy as his I-Pod started to play "Scythe of Petals" from Kingdom Hearts RE:Chain of Memories. "It's time for some straight up dragon shit, nigga! Heavy Wing's ready to bust a motherfucka!"

"Come on!" Dante immediately took to the air with a flap of his wings. His mouth glowed a bright red color as he charged his bioluminary oscillator while locking on his opponent. "Burn to ash, neophyte!" Akumu shouted before it fired a round of deadly burning mucus at the oncoming dragon. Quickly, Dante fired his lasers at the foe before shooting lesser laser blasts to destroy the burning projectiles. The dragonmare used its speed to evade the streams, save for one that hit its thigh, causing it to flinch. Dante, on the other hand, managed to shoot down all the flaming objects and continued his course toward the foe. Akumu noticed the Heavy Wing's approach and dived forward.

The two dragons soon collided and spun in the air upon their meeting. They wrestled with one another, clawing their bodies with hook-like claws while playing Russian Roulette in a lightning filled sky. Though their exoskeletons were thick, they still had the scratches decorating their bodies. During the dogfight, Akumu tried desperately to clamp its razor filled mouth onto Dante's neck, but its target kept on moving its neck out of the jaw's way. Dante then used his form's long legs to kick the enemy away before quickly using a new berserk. "Time to get biblical! Judgement Day!" he replied. Not long after Akumu regained its balance, two searing hot spheres of fire engulfed the dragonmare. The creature was being dealt serious damage from the strong spell. "Now who's burning, bitch!"

"Well done. However, I'm not done with you!" the nightmare dragon retaliated with its own berserk: Wraith Slashers. Ten deadly energy blades spun toward Dante at high speeds. All Dante could do was dodge the enemy's whirlwinds. However, his size made that impossible to evade the whirlwinds and he was hit by a few of the energy blades. The Heavy Wing form then countered with his lasers, landing a few good hits on his target. Akumu countered with lasers of its own, adding to the damage dealt to Dante. Now the two dragons were staring eachother down (even though one of the opponents had no natural form of vision). "You've managed to survive my attacks. Very nice," Akumu replied. "But like I told you, this is my world and I will not be defeated so easily." Akumu raised its head and roared loudly. The creature's call echoed throughout the landscape, almost muting the thunder's own roar. Upon hearing the call, four mare embryos shot out from the sandstorm and surrounded Dante. Sizing them up to Akumu, the white, immature enemies were half the red foe's size. They screeched and howled, ready to fight Dante.

The tactic surprised the dragon. "Shit! I remember these guys!" the morph teen replied. "It's me times four!" Knowing he was surrounded, Dante knew it was a matter of time before one of them would make the first move. "The hell is this bullshit! I didn't know you hooked up and was rollin' with a crew!"

"A warrior must always expect the unexpected," Akumu replied calmly. "But come now. You've fought numerous enemies at one time before. This will surely be no more than a mere obstacle."

"_Damn these are some unfriendly skies up in this motherfucker,"_ the black teen thought. _"Best make my move!"_

"Time to strike him down!" Akumu ordered as it and the rest of the pack dove in. The five dragonmares' cameras were locked onto Dante as if it were a big white bulls eye as they approached the wielder with killer intent. Their screeches echoed through the landscape like primordial yells. Dante lowered his wings as he gathered large amounts of power for his next attack. Once the dragons came close, the black teen stretched his wings and released the energy in the form of three powerful green shockwaves. The force of the attack tossed the enemies back in all directions. The mare embryos were paralyzed in the air, dazed by the berserk. However, Akumu quickly recovered and roared. "That berserk… It was Cleansing Wave!"

"Hell yeah! All I needed to do was store some power and then set it off like a bomb. Not bad, huh?" Dante gloated. "And now, time for you guys to take a shower!" The Heavy Wing fired numerous rounds at the enemies in all directions, spreading its massive power at the dazed foes. Akumu used its versatility and speed to avoid the beams the best it could before retaliating with its own laser fire. "I'm too swift!" Dante sung as he dove down, missing the energy blasts.

"You won't escape!" Akumu growled as it dove after the dragon. The mare embryos, who were now in critical condition, also followed suit. Dante looked behind to see five nightmare dragons on his tail before splashing into the sandstorm. Now in the blinding cloud, the six dragons flew through the sands at high speeds while fighting against the strong winds. One of the mare embryos managed to catch up with Dante, its neck glowing white as the beast charged its bioluminary oscillator. It moved next to the Heavy Wing with the intent on slamming its head like a club. Quickly, Dante lowered in altitude for the dragon to pass over him before shooting one of his lasers, hitting the enemy in the core, killing it instantly. Then another hovered over Dante and came down fast, but the black teen reacted by decreasing its speed, narrowly avoiding the dive bomb, and firing a lock-on laser which also retired it. Now the remaining two small henchmen flew ahead of their target and produced a thin, rainbow-like ribbon of energy. Unable to dodge, Dante crashed into the trap, causing him to fly awkwardly. Seeing the opportunity, Akumu rammed headlong into the wounded dragon. "Oh shit!" Dante yelled as he spun out, lowering in altitude in the process. "Going down!"

"The endgame draws nigh. This fight will be finished soon enough." Acknowledging its impending victory, Akumu and the remaining dragonmare entourage flew to the ground. Upon landing, the dragonmares scanned their surroundings. However, Dante was nowhere in sight. All the red enemy could see was a sand covered ground and a dust-filled sky. "What sort of trickery is this?" the beast replied. "This is where he should have crashed." Akumu opened its jaws and used its sense of smell in an attempt to find some trace of Dante. Though the large dragon did catch his scent, it was all over the place due to the strong winds. "This is useless." Akumu turned to its cohorts and caught their attention with a short screech. The Mare Embryos turned to their superior and called back. "I want you two to scout around for our guest. Make sure he is expired." With that said, the three dragons flew back into the skies and searched.

However, what the three enemies did not know was that Dante was hiding just beneath their feet. Thanks to all the dust and sand, he managed to cover his body over to escape detection. Picking his head up to make sure the coast was clear, the black teen stood back up and dusted himself off. "Damn, talk about getting dirty," he said to himself, mentally patting himself on the back in the process. "Bet that chump didn't think I'd actually go deep cover to pull off some incognito shit." Just then, Dante flinched from the pain in his left shoulder. Akumu's last attack did some damage. It was clear that if he were to fly again in the shape he was in, the battle would be over before it begun. "First thing's first." Picking up his scythe, the black teen charged his soul power for use of a healing technique. "Heal-Maxis!" Dante exclaimed as he used his power to heal most of his wounds. The berserk, though physically beneficial, did cost Dante a lot of strength. Now he was squatting on the ground and panting heavily. "Damn, I'm getting too old for this. Let's see. Harry, Larry, and Moe are probably snooping around for my black ass as we speak. They can't be too far." Dante looked around attempting to find the foes. However, the thick dust and sand made it nearly impossible to find anything clearly. "Damn, I can't see anything through this stuff. Hell, I can barely make out my hand in front of my face." Observing his predicament, Dante then came up with another clever tactic. "Hold on. I think I got an idea." Dante smiled wickedly as he used his scythe's power to morph into Heavy Wing again and took off into a choked sky.

Soaring through the storm, Dante knew that both he and the enemy had a common dilemma: the sandstorm obscured their line of sight. However, unlike the dragonmares (who use artificial means to scope a target which were useless due to all the grains in the air), Dante had the natural ability to switch his visual perception in this form. Focusing, the black teen began seeing everything as if he were looking through a pair of inferred binoculars. "Whoa! This is pretty freaky…" he said to himself as he looked around. It didn't take long for him to spot a large form off in the distance. To him, it was glowing like a roman candle. "I see one of them busters over there! Shit, I'm like a friggin' cobra motherfucker! I'm seeing all heat and shit!" Acknowledging his new found talent, Dante raced forward toward the foe.

The mare embryo was too busy in its search to notice that Dante was coming in from behind. Before it knew, the Heavy Wing screeched loudly, surprising it. "Duck!" Dante replied as his feet slammed into the immature beast before retreating back into the sandstorm. Now on notice, the white dragon fired its lasers in full circle as well as producing a few minor shockwaves in the process. However, Dante was hovering above it, baring his teeth in an attempt at a smile. "Duck," Dante repeated again. He then reverted into his human form and landed on the foe's back. The dragonmare realized this, but could not react before the black teen slammed his scythe's blade into the control core. "Goose!" he replied before pulling out his weapon and leaping off the creature. Shaking out of control, the mare embryo exploded and its lifeless remains fell to the ground below. _"One down, two to go,"_ Dante thought nonchalantly as he used his heat vision. Suddenly, he noticed another object sailing toward him at high speeds. Quickly, the black teen took evasive maneuvers to dodge the threat. "Damn that was close!" he exclaimed as his vision returned to normal. Hovering in front of him was the remaining mare embryo which was ready to fire its lasers. Dante circled around the enemy to avoid the attack. Even though some of the laser fire managed to hit parts of his wings, he was still able to maintain flight. In retaliation, the black teen fired his next berserk. "Energy Prism!" Dante shouted as he fired an unstable rainbow laser. The beam twisted and turned, but still managed to finish off the mare embryo. The exhausted Heavy Wing watched as his opponent's body fell to the ground. "Maybe it's not the way I planned, but I still got the job done," Dante said with content. "Now, time to move." The black teen began his ascent through the clouds as he battling the harsh winds and sands. The holes in his wings made flying a bit of a challenge, but he continued nonetheless.

Now out of the sandstorm, the dragon sensed a presence nearby. He turned around and found Akumu hovering lackadaisically in the air. The creature seemed rather relaxed, seeing as the opponent before it had been dealt some good damage. "So, you managed to defeat my underlings. Very impressive," the dragonmare said with a congratulatory tone. "However, you are running out of time."

"What do you mean?" Dante asked. "You and I have been going at this for a few hours."

"That is where you are mistaken," Akumu corrected. "You see in this realm, time runs at a slower pace. Already, a day has passed in the outside world since your coming here. If I'm not mistaken, you're friend's woman has until noon to draw breath."

"Just great," Dante replied. "Which means I have a couple hours at best to knock you off before Yoruichi pulls the switch."

"You're only half right," Akumu replied. Dante turned to the dragonmare with a crooked eye. "True you might have such amount of time, but there's no way that shinigami can stop this. We're in my spirit realm which is a separate space from the Soul Society. She will not be able to save you before time runs out, meaning your soul will be shattered by the unstable levels of your reiatsu. So it's a race against time with three alternatives. Either you defeat me and live on back in the real world, I defeat you and you die here in this one, or you succumb to your instabilities and perish. Forfeiting is not an option."

"So you planned this from the get-go," Dante replied with a low growl. "If I were someone else, I would think you didn't like me too much."

"Oh it is not about favoritism, my mentally disturbed friend. I just wish to see if you are the warrior I wish to serve. You may have proven yourself capable before, but this is a different matter. And what better way to prove me once and for all than by trapping you here."

"I have to say, you've gotta be the biggest, reddest, and craziest bastard I have ever met in my life," Dante said. "Then again, I can't help but like your style. Reminds me of them cage matches from the WWE, but with a little more swag." Dante smiled as he thought about his predicament. Even though he was trapped, the black teen couldn't help but enjoy this match. "Hell, to be honest, I've been waiting for something like this my whole life. Something to help prepare me before I face the son of a bitch who fucked me up all them years ago."

"I see. Then demonstrate to me your will and your resolve!" Akumu screeched before it charged at Dante. The black teen managed to get out of the foe's path and began firing his lasers. The dragonmare continued to use its speed in order to dodge the beams. Seeing that his regular attacks were doing little good, the Heavy Wing boosted his defense by using the berserk Defense Wing before flying forward. Akumu fired its barrage of green lasers, though Dante managed to avoid most of the strikes and returned fire, hitting the dragon in the side. Out of retaliation, Akumu used its speed to seemingly warp behind Dante just as he launched his own lasers. Before Dante could take in the situation, the enemy managed to hit one of his damaged wings. Unable to stabilize himself, the Heavy Wing made a crash landing on a nearby rock pillar. After his giant body slid for a few meters upon impact, Dante's reverted human form due to the damage he sustained and his low levels of his spirit energy. "What's wrong?" Akumu said as he landed on the platform. "Has that silver tongue of yours rusted up?" Dante began struggling to his feet as he used the scythe to help prop himself up. Before he could even place his feet firmly on the ground, he found himself flying backward from an explosion courtesy of Akumu's laser shot. "Perhaps you now realize the position you are in. As I told you, this is my space. I reign supreme."

Dante sat in a kneeling position as he stood his scythe up. He coughed up blood from the internal injuries he received before gritting his teeth. He then realized what Akumu said was true about his being outmatched. _"My soul power's almost at rock bottom,"_ he thought. _"I gotta bust a move! Fast!"_ He listened to the approaching footsteps of Akumu, sensing a deathly air growing stronger by the second. _"At least I had a good run."_ Dante closed his eyes as the end came near. Suddenly, images from parts of his past appeared to him. Memories of a burning home and a young version of himself being forced into a truck flashed into his mind's eye. The memories of all the experiments and his retaliation then followed as well as a shadowy figure who was on a television screen, his evil grin being the only thing visible. Dante quickly opened his eyes, realizing the vow of vengeance he made to himself. _"I've never given in before. No way in hell am I gonna start now!"_

"It seems you have reached the end of your journey, Dante," Akumu said as it towered over Dante as its neck flashed green. "You held so much promise and potential. Still I am compelled to ask whether you still wish to proceed?"

Even though he was at near death, something caused Dante to crack a smile. He honestly did not know why he was smirking. Perhaps he had lost it, or maybe even still, he was enjoying this battle. "I'm not done," Dante replied in a low voice. "I swore that I'd get back at that asshole for what he did to me. I don't intend on giving up on that."

"You swore to this?" the nightmare dragon asked as it was ready to unleash its attack. "To whom did you swear this to?"

"No one," Dante said as he tightened his grip on the weapon's pole to help himself pull to his feet. "I just swore it… to myself!" Dante shouted as his spiritual pressure suddenly increased. Akumu, though surprised, was ready to bring its head down and fire its laser to deliver the death blow. Dante quickly jumped up and slashed the enemy under its jaw. The dragonmare's laser flew skyward and exploded. After returning to the ground, Dante lept up again and spun backward, slicing the dragon multiple times under its jaw like a buzz saw before it staggered back. He then raced toward the beast, armed with not just his scythe, but his katana as well. Akumu fired numerous lasers, but Dante managed to avoid the energy blasts before appearing near the red giant. The dragonmare lunged forward, but Dante blocked with his scythe and the two began testing one another's power. At first, it seemed that Akumu, with its superior size, had the upper hand. However, Dante quickly managed to shove the dragonmare's eyeless head back and stab its jaw with the katana. The beast shrieked in pain before Dante jumped onto its back and stabbed the control core. As expected, even though he damaged the enemy's weak point, it would take more than just one strike to bring it down. Dante then found himself tossed to the side as the dragon spun its body with enough force to knock him off. Still, he managed to land on his feet as he slid back.

Akumu managed to finally take out the zanpakuto by using one of its long toes to pry the weapon out of its mouth "You will pay dearly for that!" Akumu roared before lashing at Dante with its whip-like tail. The black teen rolled to the side to avoid the strike before bringing his scythe up to block the foe's next strike. The dragonmare roared as it took to the skies. Dante watched it go airborne before turning his gaze to the zanpakuto it discarded. The black teen hurried to the blade but came short of reaching his weapon as Akumu swooped down, causing the black teen to drop to the ground to avoid the foe's jaws. Curving around, Akumu screeched again and bombarded the ground with laser bursts. Now the black teen was lying on the surface which was littered with small green fires. Small smudges of ash and dust dotted his body as he returned to his feet. Looking forward again, he found himself only five feet from the sword. However, he looked back and saw the dragonmare coming in fast. With its tail hanging down, the foe raked the hooked end along the ground as it flew forward. Dante ran ahead toward his sword, racing to beat the enemy's appendage from slashing him in two. Now a foot away, he reached his hand down to the side as the nightmare dragon was hovering just over him with its tail not far behind. Dante then managed to grab the sword and jump to the left, missing the tail. As the dragonmare flew off, Dante noticed the platform was beginning to shake violently before breaking in half. Both sides of the platform began parting separately from the slash. Returning his sword into its sheath, Dante ran up to the break and slide down the inside with his scythe. "Perish, neophyte!" Akumu hissed as it flew passed, the sharp ends of its wings tearing the rocks the black teen was scaling down on. Reacting quickly, the black teen shot the bottom end of his scythe in the dragonmare's direction, wrapping around the foe's bottom leg. He then shot forward and latched on to the foe. "You survived!?" the beast replied as it turned its head around to its head.

"Straight up, nyu-kuh!" Dante replied. "I ain't takin' no fall!" Akumu shook its leg violently, hoping to rid itself of the stow away. It nipped at Dante with its sharp teeth, but the mock shinigami managed to swing to the back of its leg and climb up the limb until it reached its back. Now the beast was struggling even more, bucking in the hair like an out of control stallion. The only thing Dante could do was slowly climb its back until he reached the control core. Now that he was where he wanted to be, Dante lifted the scythe's long blade over the core and stabbed and stabbed it down with all his might. Akumu screeched loudly as its body bent uncontrollably while it descended toward another nearby pillar. Before Akumu crashed, Dante jumped off the beast's back and landed on his feet. Standing back up, the warrior turned around to the dragonmare, whose body was producing smoke and made was making weak hissing sounds. Realizing the battle was over, Dante sealed his scythe and returned it to the sheath. "I told you I wasn't gonna take no fall," he said. The black teen then walked over to the dragonmare and knelt near its head. The creature turned to Dante with a slightly opened mouth.

"Well, Dante, you've done it," the creature said. "By defeating me in combat, you have proven to me that you have earned the power to use bankai."

"Thanks, Akumu," Dante said. "You weren't too bad yourself. Hell, I thought you had me a couple times. I mean, especially at the end there."

"Indeed," the dragonmare nodded. "You are filled with such resiliency and strength that is fitting for a champion. I am proud to be serving by your side, Dante." Dante smirked at the beast, thankful for its comment. Behind the teen, a portal opened which revealed the training ground. "This warp will take you back to the Seireitei."

"But what about you, big A?" Dante asked.

"Don't worry about me. I'll be back to full health in no time. Now go! Time is of the essence." Hearing this, Dante nodded in agreement. He ran toward the portal and jumped through it, leaving the satisfied dragonmare behind.

* * *

It's been a day since Dante's disappearance from the training ground. Back on the ground, Nemu stood diligently awaiting for the black teen's return. The Squad 12 lieutenant has not moved from her perch since her comrade's leave. Of course Nemu did take a rest, but she has since remained in that spot. The young woman stood watch over the ceiling like a small child for Christmas. Logically speaking, she knew this was all a futile effort. Sure Dante had a significant chance of returning, but she questioned herself on why she was so keen on standing like this until his return. Perhaps it was this crush that Yoruichi mentioned to her the previous morning.

Not too far away, Yoruichi and Ichigo were also waiting for the ally to come back. For Ichigo, his training had ended at least two hours ago. He managed to find the sword and then used the blade to defeat his sword's spirit Zangetsu. His body was wrapped in bandages, though a nice trip to the hot spring helped seal most of his wounds. Ichigo then turned to notice Nemu still standing vigilantly. He was amazed at how someone could be so still and tranquil. Usually, a normal person would at least sneeze or yawn. However, he has not seen Nemu even budge. "I wonder what's taking him so long," Ichigo asked in an impatient tone. "I swear, I bet he's doing this on purpose." Yoruichi didn't answer as she pondered over the black teen's delay. It was possible that Dante may have been defeated by the spirit or that his soul had been destroyed due to his unstable reiatsu. Still, there was always the possibility that Dante would return alive with his bankai learned.

Suddenly, a small portal began to open near the ceiling, revealing Akuma's space. Yoruichi and Ichigo turned to the rip as Nemu watched with stoic eyes. It was then that something came darting from the rift and landed in front of the Squad 12 lieutenant. Not knowing what it was, Ichigo drew his sword in order to fight whatever hostile threat it was. The figure then stood up and revealed itself to be none other than Dante. The only difference being that his clothing changed. Now he was wearing boots, pants (with thin black stripes), gloves, and a shirt with a tall pop collar (all of which was dark red) with wide black cuffs on his ankles and wrists. He also had a black belt around his waist which housed numerous pockets as well as a small red circle with two black separate halves and small white circles on the front to form a masked design. He also wore a short vest of said color that had no sleeves and a large red eye on the back. Noticing his new look, the black teen couldn't help but to whistle over his attire. "A little AOA, a bit of the Ultimate, and a hint of good ol' 616 style," he said appreciatively as he moved the designed buckle. "These threads ain't half bad."

"Welcome back, Dante," Nemu said with a bow. Mentally, she was excited that the black teen returned safely. She also took notice of the clothing he had acquired. Course, there was more red than she was accustomed to seeing, but it wasn't too bad. "I take it that your venture was a success?"

"Straight up," the black teen replied with a smile. "Sure Akumu had me by the ropes, but in the end, I came out on top. Hell, where I'm from, people call me Docta Lagi! There's no way I can loose!"

"So you've finally returned, Dante," Yoruichi said as she and Ichigo approached. "I take it that you managed to defeat your spirit into submission."

"That's right. You're looking at the man who just achieved a new bankai. What about you, Ichigo? Did you manage to beat that Vincent Volaju-lookin' S.O.B."

"Vincent Vola- what!?" Ichigo asked confused and also somewhat offended by Dante's description of his zanpakuto spirit. It was clear that he did not see Cowboy Bebop: The Movie. "If you mean Old Man Zangetsu, yeah I won," he answered. "But I gotta admit, he was pretty strong. And I'm hoping to use that strength in battle if I meet Byakuya. I know for a fact that I'll win."

"I hear you man and I'm thinking the same thing. Well, maybe not the Byakuya part for now. I mean, I'd love to beat that tight ass and shake the foundation of his little fanbase, but that's your battle." It was at that moment Dante smiled and pressed a thumb to his chest. "So how about you let me deal with the small fry that get in the way while you sit back and chill."

"And leave you with all the work? Not a chance," Ichigo replied.

"Hey, Dante. I'm just curious about something," Yoruichi began.

"Yep?" Dante replied.

"What ever happened to the tenshintai that you borrowed?"

At that moment, Dante became silent. The last thing he remembered was that an Akumu was still maintaining its form. "Um… I can explain," Dante began. Before he could reply, another object had fallen from the portal above before it closed. The black teen looked up to see what was going on, only to be hit in the face by the tenshintai before it bounced off his head and landed on the floor. Upon impact, Nemu placed a hand in front of her mouth. Though concerned, she was not all that surprised. Ichigo, on the other hand, was trying hard not to laugh at the black teen's misfortune. "Ow… That was just uncool!" the black teen replied as he rubbed his face.

Paying no attention to the young warrior's distress, Yoruichi knelt down and grabbed the device from the ground. "Thanks for returning it," she said before leaving the three behind.

"Yeah, no problem," Dante answered sarcastically as Nemu inspected the injury. "Glad I can help."

"It's a minor bump, Dante," Nemu reported. "There is no serious injury to your cranial region."

"You mean aside from what's already there," Ichigo said under his breath.

"Right, thanks." The black teen said to the lieutenant. He then turned to Ichigo. "So Ich, what's the plan?" he asked.

"Plan? What else is there?" Ichigo asked. "I say we go out there, stop the execution, and save Rukia."

"Sounds good to me. What about you, Nemu?"

"I believe there may be other ideas that can be implemented," Nemu replied. "However, due to time constraints, we cannot plot any other courses of action."

"She's right," Yoruichi said as she returned to the group with large pieces of cloth in her possession. "We don't have the time to formulate any ideas. So we have no choice but to interrupt the execution head-on." Nemu, Ichigo, and Dante nodded with Yoruichi's proposal. "Here, I want you two to have these. You might need them." The master speed demon held out the pieces. They were large tan cloaks with a small emblem at the front.

"What are these things?" Ichigo asked as he and Dante draped them over the shoulders.

"They're tentoken. These mantles are heirlooms from my family. Thanks to the special fabric, it can allow the user to stay in the air for longer periods of time as well as increase speed."

"Plus it feels like alpaca wool," Dante added as he rubbed it over his cheeks. "So soft and warm. And it brings out the red in my eyes." Ichigo and Nemu stared at the black teen with much confusion. Replaying what he said in his mind, Dante chuckled sheepishly. "Um… So when do we go topside and bust some ass!" the black teen replied excitedly, but with shifted his eyes in hopes his comment was forgotten.

"We should leave now. Ichigo and Dante, you two will leave first and save Rukia. Nemu and I will join you soon after."

"Right," Ichigo said. "Let's go."

"Fine. But if they already have the big bad Sucky-yo-crew out…"

"…Sokyoku, you idiot." Ichigo corrected as the two left the training ground.

"Screw you… Fine. 'Sokyoku,'" replied Dante with quoting fingers. "Then I'm the one taking that bad boy out. 'Sides, we don't want you to get all tired before a big fight, right?" Dante patted Ichigo on the shoulder.

"If that's the case, then why would you be wanting to get rid of it?" Ichigo asked.

"Duh! For the added EXP and skill points, son!" Dante replied. "You know, cause the ladies dig a pimp that's maxed out his stamina and pimpin' stats."

Ichigo stared with him silently with a raised eyebrow from his obscure reference to the growth system in some RPGs. "I'm starting to think you've became even more insane after your training completed."

"Maybe," Dante said nonchalantly. "It could be the new digs," he said as he stretched the bottom of his new shirt. "Guess it's bringing out the inner Wade Wilson in me."

"The who?" Ichigo asked.

The black teen was rather surprised at hearing his orange-haired comrade's skepticism of the Merc With a Mouth. Though he would gladly chew out Ichigo due to his ignorance of who he personally calls 'the common man's insane anti-hero,' Dante only sighed and continued on. He would have time to go at the substitute shinigami after this was all over.

Now on the cliff, Dante released Akumu hi Ryuujun (which now had laser blades but still retained the chainsaw teeth from its previous stage) and used its ability to morph into his Heavy Wing form. With Ichigo standing on his back, the black teen flew off. Now stronger than previously before and with their confidence high, the two made their way to the execution site to save Rukia.

* * *

Author's Note 1: This chapter is dedicated to my mom who died last month from complications of MS and pneumonia. Mom, wherever you are, I hope your afterlife is a paradise.

Author's Note 2: With their training completed, our favorite shinigami heroes take on Sokyoku Hill in an attempt to save Rukia. However, will our strawberry-haired substitute and psychotic swordsman be able to face off against the odds that stand in their way? Read and review to find out!


	14. Chapter 13

Ch. 13

It was 12:00 p.m. at Sokyoku Hill and as scheduled Rukia had appeared under the wooden structure. Accompanied by white-robed guards and in restraints, the raven-haired ex-shinigami was ready to be executed as she stood between the wooden structure and the giant zanpakuto: the Sokyoku (a large spear shaped weapon whose power is said to rival nearly one million individual zanpakuto). Sitting at attendance were at least half of the current captains and a few lieutenants. There were also numerous other shinigami who were acting as security. Among them was Rukia's brother, Byakuya, who watched stoically in his seat as the event went under way. After being released from her shackles, Rukia's arms were held out to the side as three blocks lifted her in the air to the top of the structure.

On the ground below, a few of the shinigami felt some objection toward this sentence as it was carried out. Even if what she did was a crime, they didn't feel that Rukia deserved such a harsh punishment. Such actions were usually reserved for prisoners who were around captain-level. There were a few officers that wished to voice their opinions. However, they knew that it would all be in vain (especially since they might suffer similar fates. One such circumstance ending by the hand of Squad 2's head captain and leader of the Punishment Brigade Soifon).

With Rukia near the top of the wooden structure, the Sokyoku began to release. Scorching hot flames danced along the lance before it became a tornado that touched the sky. This was a rare event witnessed by the soul reapers present. Soon the flames began to take shape. Wings formed and talons grew as the pillar of fire became a giant flying bird. Aside from the searing flames, its spiritual pressure was off the charts. "It comes!" replied Head Captain Yamamoto. "Now the spearhead of the Sokyoku has taken on its true form in order to deliver ultimate judgement! Once the prisoner has been pierced, the sentence shall be carried out!"

Hearing all the elder shinigami's words, Rukia awaited her end with closed eyes. All she could do now was reminisce about the events and people she met through her life. Even with her demise a mere few feet from her, the shinigami was still calm and content. With its phoenix-like form now fully powered, the Sokyoku's flame lunged forward, ready to put an end to Rukia's existence.

Suddenly, a loud shrill screech broke the air of suspense that filled the area. Now all the soul reapers on the ground stared in the sky with shock and intrigue as another beast appeared seemingly out of nowhere. Rukia was also in disbelief at the sight before her. Hovering between her and the executioner's flame was the large form of Dante's Heavy Wing with Ichigo standing on his back. The substitute managed to block the attack with his zanpakuto. Dante couldn't help but mentally whistle at the entity before him. It was at least three times his size and its spiritual pressure was immense. Still, both he and Ichigo would not back down. "Hey," Ichigo said to Rukia nonchalantly with a small smirk on his face.

"Ichigo…" Rukia said. "You idiot!" Hearing this, Ichigo was taken aback by the insult. "How many times do I have to tell you! You can't defeat my brother! He will surely kill you! I didn't tell anyone to rescue me! I've accepted my destiny. Now go away!"

Acknowledging its first flawed attempt, the spirit of the Sokyoku pushed away from the blocking swordsman and distanced itself from the newcomers. The firebird was charging energy for another try. "Looks like its preparing itself for another attack," Ichigo said. "Dante, if you're ready, he's all yours."

"Hell yeah! Sorry Polly, but you's about to get your wings clipped!" Dante screeched as his ally jumped off his back and onto the wooden beam.

"_Dante…?"_ Rukia thought in disbelief. Last time she heard that name was when she met that strange teen who accompanied Ichigo at the Senzaikyu. Yet here was this creature hovering in front of her being addressed by the same name. _"Impossible! There's no way that beast is the same as the person from earlier!"_ Still, she threw her astonishment was tossed aside and replaced with concern. Whether it was or wasn't Dante, it was still putting itself in danger to rescue her. "Don't do this! Get out of here! There's no way you can stop it!"

Ignoring Rukia's pleas, Dante flew forward as with a bright patch in his neck as he locked on to the target and fire a few rounds of his lasers at the spirit. However, the attack didn't stop it completely as the enemy was still moving forward. It was aiming to pierce him, Ichigo, Rukia. Suddenly, a large cable wrapped around the firebird's neck and restrained its movement. Dante's glowing throat subsided as he, Ichigo, and Rukia looked to the ground below. With the Shihoin Shield in hand, Captain Ukitake and Kyoraku stabbed their zanpakuto into both ends of the cords. With their spiritual pressure flowing through the cable like an electric current, the Sokyoku spirit's form burst into embers which rained upon the soul reapers below. The large zanpakuto was also destroyed in the process. _"Sweet toy,"_ Dante thought. _"Maybe after this is over, I can ask Yoruichi if she can give me a spare as a souvenir."_

"_Looks like they're distracted down there,"_ Ichigo thought. _"I can use that to my advantage."_ Seeing his chance, Ichigo began charging his spiritual pressure and swinging his giant cleaver over his head by its cloth.

"Ichigo! What do you think you're doing!?" Rukia replied.

"Can't you tell? I'm going to take this stand down."

Hearing Ichigo's plan, Rukia gasped. She knew that he was strong, but the prisoner could not condone something so reckless and dangerous. "Stop this now, Ichigo!" she hollered. "You'll only end up killing us both! The Sokyoku is to powerful!"

"Don't worry about it," Ichigo said as he grabbed the bandage at the end of the grip. "Just shut up and leave it to me." Rukia could only stare at him silently, her eyes fixed on the young man who was risking his life for her own. Never has she seen someone so determined at accomplishing their goals that they would willingly go through every obstacle to achieve them. With his spiritual pressure now charged and eyes glowing a light blue, Ichigo stabbed his zanpakuto into the Sokyoku structure. The wooden stand began to glow bright blue before a flash of light enveloped the hill. Then a loud explosion shook the scene. Dante, in midair, tried to stabilize his flying from the shockwave which threatened to knock him out of the sky. "'Don't rescue me,' you said. 'Go home,' you said. 'You're putting your life in danger,' you said. Rukia, sometimes you just talk too much." Hearing the calm voice of Ichigo so close to her ear, Rukia opened her eyes. She found herself held by the his arm on the left side while his sword rested on his shoulder. The middle of the stand where Rukia was held was gone, nothing more than wooden fragments which danced in the violent winds. "Now this is the second time I had to say this. I've come to rescue you. Got it?"

Rukia was quiet as she information registered in her mind. "You fool…" she replied as she tried holding back tears of relief. "I'm not going to say thank you… No way…"

Hearing Rukia's voice, a small smile formed on his face. "I didn't expect you to."

With a loud screech, Dante lowered to the other side of the platform, flapping his webbed wings before taking his perch and reverting to his human form, his laser scythe resting on his shoulders. "Man, that was the shit!" he replied before sealing his weapons. "Ichigo, you did it! You finally save Rukia! Props to you homeboy!"

"Thanks. But it couldn't have been done without your help," Ichigo said humbly.

"Trust me, you could," Dante said. "I was just here for the action." The orange-haired warrior gave a nod while Dante smiled.

"Ichigo… What do we do now?" Rukia asked. "There are so many people watching us…"

"We'll make a run for it," Ichigo answered.

"What!? That's a stupid answer! There are captains down there!"

"She's right," Dante added. "And looking down, I don't think most of them want your autograph or feel like a game of tag."

"You know we're not alone. Orihime, Chad, Uryu, Ganju, and Hanataro are all here too," Ichigo said. "And I'm gonna save each one of them and we're all gonna get away."

Rukia stared at her driven savior as Dante nodded his head in agreement. Then a thought came into the black teen's head. _"Speaking of Hana, I wonder what the little kid's up to? Maybe I should check up with him later on."_ Suddenly, all thoughts were interrupted as the sounds of a sword fight rang out on the ground below. "Well, well, look who showed," the black teen said.

The Squad 6 lieutenant was panting heavily from all the battles he fought before arriving to the hill. It was clear that even after his fight with Captain Kuchiki earlier on, his drive to aid Rukia's escape was still strong. However, he still felt the brunt of some of the damage he sustained and knelt to the ground. "Renji!" Rukia called ecstatically.

Hearing her call his name, the lieutenant turned forward and saw Rukia safe with Ichigo. "Rukia!" he called back.

"Oh I'm so glad you're still alive!"

"I was wondering when you'd get here, Renji," Ichigo said.

"Heh. What choice did I have. There's no way, I'd leave this to the two of you."

"Alright then," Ichigo said as he held up Rukia over his body.

Both Rukia and Renji were confused as to Ichigo's motion. Dante, however, knew exactly what the substitute was planning but was still a bit skeptical. "Wait, you're not gonna-" the black teen stopped in mid-sentence as Ichigo pulled his arm back. "Oh shit! He really is!" Understanding Ichigo's motives, now both the raven-haired shinigami was also trying desperately to dissuade him.

"Look out below!" Ichigo called out as he launched Rukia forward like a football. The raven-haired young woman screamed as she plummeted toward Renji. Luckily, the red-haired lieutenant managed to catch Rukia, but was sent a yard back from the sheer force of the throw.

Dante only watched with his jaws dropped in disbelief. He then turned to Ichigo and said, "As insane as I am, even I knew that was straight loc! You feeling alright?"

"Take her and go," Ichigo said to Renji. "Take her someplace safe. Someplace far away. That's your duty." Hearing this Renji gave a nod and quickly bolted from the scene. Now the orange-haired shinigami turned his attention to Byakuya, both exchanging glares.

Dante watched the ground below as enemy shinigami started chasing after the two escapees. "Uh-oh. Looks like the browless pineapple's getting tailed," he said. "Race ya." Using their shunpo, Dante and Ichigo arrived at the other end of the hill in less than a second, blocking the enemies' route. Now their new targets, the shinigami mob surrounded the two rogues on all sides. Among the numerous foes were three lieutenant-ranked shinigami following them. Belonging to Squad 1 was the sophisticated Chojiro Sasakibe. Next was rather tall white-haired woman of Squad 4 named Isane Kotetsu. Lastly, there was the large-built man belonging to Squad 2 who Dante was already acquainted with: Marechiyo Omaeda. "Well, if it ain't Colonel Eating Custard," Dante said to the already acquainted lieutenant. "It's been a while. I see you've gain a few pounds. What? Auditioning for that Blob role in the Wolverine movie? Sorry you didn't get the part."

"It you! The little bastard from before!" Omaeda snarled. "You may have managed to walk last time, but this time, I'll make sure you stay down."

"Right. That's what you think, Biggie nowhere-close-to-being Smalls."

"Don't get too carried away and kill someone, Dante," Ichigo said. "We're only here to buy Renji and Rukia some time."

"Me? Kill? Man, you's buggin'," Dante said as he pulled out one of his swords. "I ain't gonna kill anyone. I'm just gonna beat his ass, then his ass, then his ass…" he said as he pointed to various shinigami before stopping on Isane. "Then I'm gonna save you for last and show you why my codename in some circles is Chocolate Boomslang, baby. You, me, and Emperor-sized mattress, you feel me?"

"How about you stop doing that and get focussed?"

"Why you gotta bust in on a brother's game? Besides, it's not my fault I'm into the tall chicks," Dante said rather innocently. "Let a playa play."

"I'm not that tall, you pervert!" Insane said defensively. "Run, Itegumo!" The lieutenant's released weapon was a long straight blade with two extra smaller ones that split 45 degrees off each side."

"Bite, Gonryumaru!" replied Chojiro as his sword became a thin rapier, which included the wrist bar.

"Crush them! Gegetsuburi!" shouted a peeved Omaeda as he released his giant spiked mace.

"Hey, don't leave a brother behind!" Dante replied as he turned his Ipod to "Gigantic Fleet" from Panzer Dragoon Orta. "Shred with the rage of the past, Kowa ro Shii Maru!" Dante sword was released into its shiki phase. However, like his scythe, it also assumed a new form. Now it was a weapon with a long grip which had a lengthy chain extending to the ground with a crescent-shaped hook at the end. The other end was a long crimson laser blade which hummed with energy (in other words, it was now a modified lightsaber-type weapon). "Yeah, we 'bout to represent up in this peace! I ain't just Deadpool, but I'm now the motherfuckin' Starkillah! Galen Marek ain't got shit on me!"

"Shut the hell up!" Marechiyo shouted as he launched his spiked weapon at Dante. The black teen stood as the tool of destruction closed in, charging his spiritual pressure. Once the mace was in range, Dante slashed his beam weapon upward and split the lieutenant's shiki in two before flash stepping to the enemy and kicking him in the gut. The surrounding shinigami were stunned by the display of power, giving Ichigo the chance to fight the foes. He used his speed to strike many of the soul reapers, dodging attacks and striking multiple opponents with one swipe of his sword (including Isane).

As Ichigo fought the foes, Dante was also cutting through the opposition that was attacking. From behind, a shinigami was closing in on the black teen in an attempted sneak attack. However, Dante swung the hooked end of his weapon at the foe which wrapped around the shinigami's wrists. Dante then twisted his body around, the momentum pulling the soul reaper forward and crashing him into an oncoming party. Another shinigami appeared on the black teen's left side and struck, but his sword was blocked and he was tossed back with relative ease. _"Alright, time to see what I'm packing,"_ Dante thought as he dug his free hand in one of his packs. Held between his fingers were small black balls an inch in diameter. _"Smoke pellets. Guess I'll manage."_ Returning his focus to the battle, Dante found himself surrounded by at least ten shinigami. He stood with wary eyes which shifted between opponents and waited for their first strike. As soon as one of the shinigami charged, Dante threw the pellets to the ground which engulfed the group in a smokescreen. Slashes and yells were heard through the cover and curses were thrown back and forth. Once the smoke subsided, the enemy shinigami were now lying on the ground around Dante. "Ha! Bitches got no skill or luck," he said as he spun his laser weapon in his hand.

"You!" a voice from the side yelled. It was Marechiyo, who still had enough strength to fight back. His zanpakuto, which had returned to its sealed state, was tightly held in his right hand. "I'll kill you, you little punk!" he shouted before striking the black teen.

Dante blocked the attack with his lightsaber. Now the two's swords were locked. Marechiyo glared daggers at Dante, sweat pouring down his face. Dante only smiled as he held his own against the lieutenant. "You think you can off me?" he began before parrying blows with the Squad 2 second in command. "Don't you know that I was trained in the way of Force Pimpin' by da master Mace Windu? That I met my boy Cad Bane who be chillin' in the South Central part of the galaxy and the two of us gone to Ryloth and pimped out them Twi'lek bitches and pissed on some motherfuckin' Hutts in the face!"

"Damn it! Why don't you just shut the hell up!?" the large man yelled as he brought his katana down upon the teen. Dante held his weapon up, catching the enemy's sword. He then shoved his opponent away, causing Marechiyo to stagger back. He then used the chain to restrain the foe's wrists before jumping on the man and planted him on the ground. Using the momentum, Marechiyo slid along the ground and Dante steered him by the chain like a sled, colliding with any unlucky soul reaper who was in their path. "Yeah, I got your Jingle Bells right here, nyu-guh!" he shouted before jumping off the lieutenant and letting his body bounce a few feet and collide into any faraway enemies. Now Marechiyo was unconscious at the end of a route of fallen bodies.

From behind, Chojiro was approaching the black teen. With his spiritual pressure relatively low, he had hoped that his sneak attack would be successful. However, he didn't count on the fact that Ichigo would flash step toward him and knock him out with a strike to the stomach. The wind was knocked out of the refined lieutenant as he fell to the ground. Dante turned around and saw the officer laying face down with Ichigo standing over him. "Looks like you've taken care of things over here," Ichigo said.

"Sure did. And I see you finished business on your end." Suddenly, the two felt a sudden spike in spiritual pressure approaching their location. Ichigo barely had enough time to block as Byakuya Kuchiki lock his zanpakuto with the substitute shinigami. The force of the clash sent Dante back a yard, sliding on his feet until he stopped. "Damn that son of a bitch!" he said as he made his way to the enemy. However, the black teen was stopped as he felt another strong presence nearby. He quickly turned around and blocked the attack, the tip of the enemy's blade only mere inches from his face.

The black teen's eyes climbed up the length of the opponent's short katana before stopping on its user's, a lithe built woman with short hair and two long ponytails whipping behind her head. Her black uniform was sleeveless and revealed much of her back, a useful alteration for her high speed abilities. The woman glared daggers at Dante, who felt like he was being stabbed just by looking at her face. "Your story ends here, ryoka," the woman said.

"Really, because I think this tale of mine has a few pages left." Dante exclaimed as the two distanced themselves from one another. "Wait, I know you! You're that ninja chick in charge of the 2nd. What was it… Soifon, right? I wondered is it one word or two? "

"You don't have the right to speak my name with such a casual tongue." Soifon replied. "How is it that you who I am anyway?"

"That fool I went all Surfing Bird on was your right hand man. Had a run-in with him a while back and won. And you got a pretty good fanbase."

The captain scoffed. "I'm not surprised. He's too busy stuffing his face to be of any real use." The young woman's eyes were fixed on the teen. She didn't want to admit it, but her lieutenant was a strong shinigami in his own right. Beating him so easily meant that she was dealing with a powerful foe. "However, that only means I'll finish you off myself."

"Oh, I see. But don't think this'll be quick and easy. I got news for you, I can pull off some ninjitsu shit, too. Hell, I once had a threesome with Sheena Fujibayashi and Taki upside down in a Monkey Puzzle Tree." Dante then turned his Ipod to "Testin' My Gangsta" by Three 6 Mafia. "Now, Imma go akimbo!" he said with a sing-song tone as he pulled out his second zanpakuto. He knew that, as a captain, this shinigami would be a formidable opponent and would need all of his skill to take this opponent down.

"You arrogant cur," Soifon hissed as she stood sideways. Examining Dante's attire, she noticed the emblem that was on his tentoken. As far as she was, the ninja's eyes widened as she knew the imprint. _"That sign! That belongs to the Shihoin family!"_ Seeing this, Soifon felt the her anger seethe as she remembered her early days in the squad with a member of the family. "I shall rid the Soul Society of you once and for all." The two stared each other down as they sized up one another. Dante exerted his spiritual pressure, increasing his strength as he bided time. Soifon, on the other hand, was masking it in order to keep her true power hidden from the enemy. Soon the two shunpoed forward and went in for the attack. Soifon slashed with her zanpakuto, which was blocked by Dante's sealed blade and then countered with a strike of his lightsaber. The ninja captain managed to avoid the hit before sliding along the ground in an attempt to knock the ryoka off his feet. However, Dante leapt over the attack before turning around for a slash, which was blocked. Soifon then kicked his stomach, causing him to stagger back. Once Dante regained balance, he looked up to see the foe ready to deliver an axe kick. The maverick managed to dodge the strike before her foot shattered the ground.

Once out of the foe's range, Dante felt the pain in his abdomen. "Let's see how you like this! Lagi style! Holy Sphere!" Dante summoned a large expanding ball of fire right where Soifon was standing. Though it caught her by surprise, Soifon still managed to evade the explosion with ease by leaping back from the attack's range.

"You fool!" she spat. "Do not insult me!" The captain shunpoed toward Dante and punched the black teen, who managed to block the blow just in time, but was slid back a few feet by its force. "This can't be your true power!"

"_She's whoopin' me when I fight like this,"_ Dante thought. _"I better go all out!"_ With that thought in mind, the black teen used Agility Wing to increase his mobility, and then Assault Wing to boost his strength. "Sorry about that," the black teen said with a smirk. "Let's give this another go."

Soifon only scowled at the outsider as she noticed the look of enjoyment on his face. _"What is he smiling about?"_ she asked herself. _"His power may have increased, but he's still outmatched. Is it possible he's planning something? If that's the case, then I'll finish him now."_

"Now you see me…" Dante replied as he flash stepped out of sight and appeared in the air behind Soifon. The captain stood with eyes widened as she quickly whipped her head around. "Now you don't…" The woman was confused as to what this combatant was doing. "Lagi style! Lightning Storm!" Numerous bolts of lightning rained from the skies above, hitting the ground at high speed. Soifon used her agility in an attempt to evade the strikes. However, due to the unpredictability and speed of the electric bolts, the ninja was still hit. "Was that better?" The black teen asked.

Soifon turned toward the black teen with gritted teeth. "Damn you." The Punishment Force commander charged at Dante and then began using fast punches and kicks. Dante parried against most of the strikes, using his speed to block and counter movements. They matched each other's flash steps, their battle moving along the ground and in the air. Soon, the two distance themselves and stood in their fighting positions. Both combatants wore the bruises from their high speed encounter. "I'm surprised a lowly ryouka like you was able to fend against my speed," Soifon replied. "Still, this battle will spell the end for you."

Dante cracked a smile after spitting out blood. However, he knew that his current power levels would only last temporarily. "You know I got a question that's always been on my mind. If a ninja ever fought a raptor, who do you think would win?"

"What kind of bullshit question is that?" Soifon snapped. Dante only smirked as he used Kowa ro Shii Maru's special ability to instantly morph into his Deinonychus form. Thanks to his training in the secret grounds, the form's appearance took another change. Now it was almost similar to the spirit itself (though with black being the more dominant color with red stripes along its body). Long feathers decorated its head and his arm, and he had a large tail fan. The sudden shapeshift surprised Soifon. However, her reaction was covered by a stoic glare. She could feel his increased spiritual pressure and knew this new body wasn't just for show.

Dante roared at the female ninja and anxiously tapped his sickle-shaped claws on the ground. "This is gonna be good," the black teen hissed before dashing toward Soifon with lightning speed. The shinigami quickly reacted by using her sword to block the raptor's hand claws. Dante then snapped his jaws, but Soifon managed to evade the sharp teeth and countered with a slash. Dante avoided out of the weapon's strike and leapt in the air for an aerial attack, though missed as his target moved out of his way. Now Soifon was on Dante's back, her arms wrapping around his neck. The captain was about to stab him with her sword until she was thrown off by Dante's sudden burst of spiritual pressure. She managed to recover from the throw, but Dante appeared from behind and swatted her with his long tail.

Soifon blocked the hit, but her body still flew back from the strike. The ninja shinigami dashed forward and managed to deliver a spear-hand strike under the jaw and then followed with a butterfly kick which tossed the dromaeosaur in the air. Quickly, Dante righted himself just in time to see Soifon launch into the air with sword in hand. The raptor quickly dove down and locked his claws with the enemy's blade. Both warriors pushed against one another, their eyes trading deathly glares. Seeing that this was a stalemate, Soifon swung a kick at Dante, but the black teen moved his own leg in order to block the attack. He then tried to bite his foe, but the ninja managed to adjust the blade in order to hold his maw back.

They struggled in hopes of gaining the upper hand, but found their attempts to be futile. Warily, yet quickly, both combatants pushed back and returned to the ground. Even with the distance, set between them, Soifon's scowl still registered to Dante. "This is some real straight up shinobi shit!" he loudly honked with risen feathers on his head to back. "Fuck Naruto! I'm having the time of my life!"

"Perhaps I underestimated you, ryouka," Soifon replied. Now she stood in a crouching posture with her sword held horizontally in front of her. Dante, realizing that this meant the release of her zanpakuto, also crouched down and snarled. He held out so far against the shinigami, but if she were to use shiki, then the tide of this match with drastically turn and he would have to change strategy. "This game of cat and mouse will be over soon."

The young woman was ready to release her weapon, but before she could, a faint spiritual pressure entered the area. Before either two could react, Dante saw a figure in orange using shunpo and grab Soifon before jumping off the cliff. All that was left was a trail of dust. Dante dashed to the edge of the hill only to see the two individuals disappear into the woods below. "Whoa! That was crazy!" Dante said to himself before sensing another more familiar presence coming near. The dromaeosaur turned around and saw Nemu arriving on the scene. The black teen morphed back into his human form and returned his weapons back to their scabbards. "Nemu! What's going on?"

"Dante, I'm glad to see you are safe," the Squad 12 lieutenant said with a bow. "Yoruichi has given us an order to go to the Central 46."

"Central 46? You mean where all the captains hang out?" Dante asked.

"No, that's the Headquarters. Central 46 is a building that leads to an underground chamber where rulings are held. From there, we might be able to persuade the jury in exonerating the charges on Rukia."

"You mean we're gonna go to court and try talking with the big heads who pretty much run this bitch?" Dante asked with a risen eyebrow. "Last I checked, I'm a lunatic who unwillingly broke into the Soul Society and you're aiding a known criminal. I'm pretty sure we'd be hauled off before we even get to knock on the front door. Hell, I'm pretty sure it'd be off with our heads just to make up for this little screw-up."

"I understand your uncertainty," Nemu agreed. "However, we have no other options at this point and time. Perhaps it is a futile attempt, but it is the only course of action we can take."

"Maybe it is," Dante agreed. "Alright. Which way, Nemu?"

"It's not too far from our current location. It's in the southeast direction."

"Southwest, huh?" Dante asked. He looked off in the distance past the forest and saw a few buildings on the edge in the direction. _"Central 46, huh? I know that place,"_ Dante thought. _"That's where that punk-ass nark Aizen's been hiding."_ Dante then smirked. "Well, I always thought I'd end up in court somehow. Why not cut the middle man and save the system the trouble." With their target in sight, Dante and Nemu leapt off the cliff. Once they landed on the ground, the two dashed through the forest and made their way to Central 46.

* * *

Author's Note 1: In the next and maybe final chapter of The Rise of Madness, revelations are made concerning Dante's past. Also, Dante will come face to face with the traitorous trio.

Author's Note 2: If anyone has any questions or would like to give reviews, please feel free.


	15. Chapter 14

Ch. 14

With their mission in mind, both Dante and Nemu raced to their destination as fast as possible. They crashed through brush and bounced off branches until they left the forest. Once they arrived on the tiled ground, the two were ambushed by a large group of shinigami. Both individuals stood back to back with enemies surrounding them. "It would appear that we were expected," Nemu droned as she surveyed the numerous foes.

"Hey, these guys are swarming around us like paparazzi. Hey, do you think they heard the rumors? Just to be safe, the ones with me and Andy Dick are completely false. But the ones with me and Craig Ferguson in that one club up in Miami with them Cuban bitches and Lindsay Lohan… No comment."

"A wise and effective strategy would be to use our combined skill to defeat the opposition," Nemu advised.

"Tag teaming, huh? I like the way you think," Dante said with a smile. Nemu blushed a bit by the compliment. "Hell, I've always wanted to dance with a fine dime like yourself. Let's hit the ass-whoopin' dance floor together and bust a move on these suckas."

Both rogue fighters stood in their battle positions, with both of their swords drawn. As soon as one of the foes went in for the attack, Nemu dispatched the foe with a surprisingly swift stroke of her blade. As if on cue, the soul reapers charged. Quickly, Dante rushed to Nemu's side and slashed a couple of the enemies who came near the lieutenant before turning around and launching a few lasers at a few more enemies. With Dante controlling his enemies, Nemu blocked an oncoming hit and kicked her attack in the head. She then punched her opponent in the air and delivered a few strikes. In the end, her foe was tossed into the side, knocking down a few shinigami on impact. Now both Dante and Nemu were striking enemies in fast speed, trading places and using their agility to their advantage. "Special attack: Crowd Control!" Dante shouted as both partners grabbed each other's wrists and swung their bodies clockwise, their legs kicking the heads of any foes in the way. Then they jumped and stabbed the ground at the center of the pit. Their release of spiritual pressure rattled the ground and threw their enemies off their feet. Now the battle was over as bodies of fallen soul reapers littered the ground around them. "Whew! That was pretty cool," Dante said before stretching his legs. "We should do this again sometime."

"Indeed," Nemu replied. "Now, we should continue on to the Central 46." Dante nodded and the two shunpoed from the scene. They leaped from roof to roof, moving quickly with a purpose. As the two ran, a loud blast from Sokyoku Hill grabbed their attention. They turned and saw a cloud of sand rising from the cliff. Both individuals could feel the high levels of reiatsu like a homing beacon, but continued moving. "What a sudden release spiritual pressure… One is Ichigo… But the other is…" Nemu asked in bewilderment.

"Byakuya Kuchiki," Dante interrupted with a smirk. "Shit's starting to get serious, ya feel me?"

Thanks to their speed, they managed to avoid the eyes of many enemy shinigami in the area. Along the way, Dante could have sworn that he saw Uryu, Orihime, and Chad, accompanied by a soul reaper. Of course, they did not notice him and his companion due to their movements nor did Dante feel the need to make sure. After a few minutes of running, both sword wielders felt a sudden rise in spiritual pressure as a blinding light erupted from Sokyoku Hill. Nemu was shocked by the sudden surge, but continued to maintain a stoic gaze. Dante, on the other hand, was smiled with a toothy grin. "That was Ichigo…" she said. "His spiritual pressure has just underwent a drastic increase."

"Oh, Big Ich's pumped up now," Dante said. "Kuchiki better start protecting his neck 'cause my boy's about to go for the throat." The black teen's smile widened as he felt the sudden change rise in spiritual pressure. He was excited that one of the most dramatic battles was about to take place at that very moment and wished he was there to see it. Of course, he knew that he was never one to simply stand and watch. Perhaps it was better that he went with Nemu instead and left Ichigo to his own business. Besides, he much preferred her company anyway.

After running for some time, Nemu and Dante arrived at the front walls Central 46. A large facility, it is here where deliberations on all matters concerning the Soul Society are judged. The ones who are responsible for these ideas are 6 judges along with 40 wise men. Nemu stood with a perplexed eye, knowing that there was something odd. The area was relatively quiet due to the absence of any shinigami. The doors were also opened, something that rarely happens. "This isn't right," the lieutenant said. Dante turned to her with a risen brow. "The area is restricted to all shinigami of the Gotei 13. No soul reaper, of noble decent or otherwise, is allowed on the premises."

"Maybe the guards are on vacation in Haiti," Dante said. "Or maybe they're having a party! Hey, do you think it's open invitation?"

Nemu turned to Dante with bewilderment from his comments. Perhaps the black teen was either very optimistic, or displaying an act of ignorance. Either way, she felt somewhat at ease by his disposition. The lieutenant pushed these thoughts aside and turned to the building ahead. They crossed the bridge which connected the entrance to a building at the center of a circular moat. Once they arrived at the building's entrance, the two found the door was broken through, including the steal bars which covered it. "Damn," Dante said. "Now this is a serious termite problem. Guess they _really_ needed to call Clark, ya feel me?"

"I don't believe this is from insect activity," Nemu replied with an examining eye. She then placed her hand on the edges of the break and felt around it. "Judging from the smoothness of the sides and the angle, I believe this was made by a sword stroke. Also, the metal bars were also shattered, meaning whoever did this was a powerful individual"

"Hey, I knew that," replied the black teen as he placed his hands in his pocket. "Anyway, let's go check it out." Nemu nodded as the black teen entered through the hole with her following close behind. Once inside, the two warriors looked to the side to see flights of steps snaking their way down the side of the building to the shadowy depths below. "Man, this is gonna take too long. How about we ride the elevator instead."

"Elevator? I do not believe such a contraption can be found here."

Dante turned to the lieutenant with a smile. "You mean 'not yet,'" the black teen replied with cleverly, earning a risen brow from his teammate. The black teen drew one of his zanpakuto and shouted, "Burst with a fury from the future! Akumu hi Ryuujin!" With his laser scythe now released, Dante used his weapon's morphing ability to use shapeshift into his Heavy Wing form. "Going down," he screeched. Nemu acknowledged her comrade's plan of action and hopped on the dragon's back. Flapping his wings, Dante descended down the tower which was mostly below water level. It was due to this that the remaining light during his flight shone a few of the stories in a light blue hue. Cocking his head, he focused his eye on Nemu who inspected her surroundings. _"Damn, this chick's so fly! Mmm Mmm!"_ the dragon thought. _"Maybe after this is all over, she can get me caught up with some biological studies. Heh heh."_ About ten minutes passed before the duo arrived at the bottom level in front of a tall structure. This was the Underground Assembly Hall. Once Dante landed, Nemu jumped off the dragon's back as he returned to human form. He reverted his scythe back into its basic katana state before returning it to its sheath. "Basement level. Wrinkly old guys, bad legal decisions, flashlights optional."

"This way," Nemu replied as she led her comrade to the building. Once the two arrived at the entry way, Dante's eyes shrunk by the sight he saw. The entire room was covered in dead bodies. Some draped over the inner and outer octagon-shaped desks which decorated the center of the room. With others still sitting in their seats. Blood stains painted the nearby floor and walls. The stagnant stench of death still wreaked the chamber which was once a place of law and order.

"Looks like someone was hard at work," the black teen replied as the entered the room to investigate. "I've seen some bloodbaths in my day, but not an entire dead pool."

"How could this have happened?" Nemu asked. "And what possible reason is there for such a massacre?"

She turned around to see Dante chipping at one of the dried pools on a desk. In his hand were flakes of dried blood. "I'm no CSI or nothin', but I'm thinkin' these guys took their dirtnap a _long_ time ago."

"Blood usually takes over a month to dry into this condition," Nemu explains. "This being the case, it would probably entail that the council had met their demise for quite sometime. Even before you and the other ryoka arrive here in the Seireitei."

"Hey, you said that this place is where all the rules are made right?" Dante asked.

"That is correct. This means that every decision, from the lockdown to Rukia's execution, were under the orders of another party." Hearing this, the black teen whistled. Of course, he knew exactly what was going on, but he still couldn't help but feel impressed by the these machinations.

"Well, you gotta give props to this guy," Dante said. "I mean, everyone says their gonna throw a society on its head. But not a lot of people would go do it. And fewer people actually get away with it when they do. Hell, the motherfuckers from Oceans 11 could take a tip from this son of a bitch." He then turned to Nemu, who gazed at the black teen with a cold silent gaze. Seeing this, Dante only chuckled sheepishly. "Sorry… expository dialogue. Blame the author."

"It is possible that the responsible party is still inside this structure," the braided-haired lieutenant began. "The Seijōtōkyorin is not far from our current location."

"The Say-Joe… what?" Dante asked with a raised brow.

"The Seijōtōkyorin. It is the living quarters of the Central 46. Restricted documents, past case files, and many other types of information are also found in its confines. Perhaps that is what the culprit is after."

"_Man, this girl is good,"_ Dante thought with an impressed smile. _"Hey wait a minute. If I catch that punk ass Aizen, that would mean I'd be a hero! Oh I can see it now…"_ The black teen drew a mental picture of the aftermath of his victory. Various women grouped around him singing his praise as a party rang out in the background. His arms wrapped around the grateful bodies of Rangiku and Nemu while Yoruichi rested her head on Dante's. _"Hella tight…"_ he thought as he salivated from his thoughts as he looked up blissfully.

"Are you alright, Dante?" Nemu said, her comment enough to bring her partner back to reality.

Dante only stared blankly at the young woman. "It's all good… Well then, let's bounce Sexy Sherlock! Time to nab the guy behind this!" Excited, Dante hurried out of the chamber with Nemu in toe. Before she left, the 12th Division lieutenant gave one last glance to the once exalted members of Central 46.

Once they left the Assembly Hall, the two took another passage which led to another large room. Once they arrived, the two found themselves near another staircase. In front of them were large pillars the size of small towers reaching into the shadow-covered ceiling above. Now they were in what used to be the living quarters of Central 46: The Seijōtōkyorin. "Whoa…" was all Dante could say as he scanned the area before him. "It's like a small city up in this bitch," Dante awed. He then looked ahead to another entryway and saw two figures walking toward a tower. One of them was a lieutenant that he had faced days ago: Momo Hinamori of Squad 5. The other was a captain-level shinigami dressed in a white shihakusho. He had short white hair and a wide smile with closed eyes almost like a fox grin. Just looking at him gave the black teen shivers. "Hey, that's Momo! And that other guy's…"

"Gin Ichimaru," Nemu finished. "He's a captain who leads the 3rd Division. Recently, he has been labeled as a suspect for the murder of fellow captain, Sosuke Aizen of the 5th Division. Of course, this is all mere speculation and no charges have been brought against him." She then paused and focused on the lieutenant accompanying him. "I find it odd that Lieutenant Hinamori is in his company. It was said that she engaged with an altercation with him once Aizen's cadaver was recovered."

"_Damn, I kinda feel sorry for her,"_ Dante thought. _"She follows her captain like a fangirl for Soulja Boy. Now that I think about, both do have a habit of stabbing their fans in the back."_ As Dante thought about what might happen if things ran their course, the black teen then had an idea. _"This might be my chance right here! If I save Momo, I might be able to stop Aizen. Hah! Two birds up in this bitch!"_ "Come on!" Dante replied to his partner. "We gotta get Momo out. Then we'll take care of Chuckles."

"Ichimaru is one of the strongest shinigami in the Soul Society and has honed his skills since childhood. Are you sure you can stand against him in battle?"

"Only one way to find out." Dante said boldly. Feeling that time was of the essence, Dante rushed over to the two shinigami with Nemu not far behind. With a quick sprint, the two arrived just behind the soul reapers. "Hold it right there, Laughing Octopus!" Dante replied as he held one of his swords pointing at the captain's back. Hearing his voice, Momo snapped around in surprise. "What? You couldn't invite us? We're so hurt!"

Gin, on the other hand, still kept his grin. The white-haired man seemed calm and his smile on continued to creep Dante out. "Well, this is quite a surprise," said the captain. "Lieutenant Kurotsuchi of Squad 12. And you must be one of the ryoka. A pleasure to meet you."

"Cut the crap, chump. We're here to shut your ass down."

"Lieutenant Hinamori, you must leave this place," Nemu droned. "It is not safe here."

"I won't leave," Momo replied. "I was told to come here I will not go until I find out the reason why."

"As you can tell, it was her choice to come here," Gin said. "All I'm doing is helping her out. After all the pain she has gone through, this was the least I could do."

"Bastard…" Dante snarled with gritted teeth as he knew full well of the albino captain's true intentions. He then returned his focus to Momo. "Yo, listen. Whatever bullshit this fool's selling, don't buy it. Everything on that piece of paper is all a big ass scam."

Momo was surprised by Dante's statement. "How did you know I had a note?" she asked.

"Um… That's not the point! What matters is you got to get the fuck outta here! Trust me, you don't need to be here."

"Oh? And why would she need to do that?" a new voice replied from a nearby tower. Silence filled the room as Momo, Nemu, and Dante turned their attention to the entrance of the building. Stepping out of the shadows was a man in a white robe similar to Gin's. He had brown hair and matching eyes behind a pair of glasses. He had a rather modest smile on his face. "Hello, Momo."

Both Momo and Nemu were stunned by the appearance of the individual. Dante, on the other hand, was far from surprised as his hands found their way to the two grips of his zanpakuto. "C-Captain Aizen…" Momo said in disbelief. "I-It can't be… I-Is that really you?" Drawn by curiosity, loyalty, and a mix of emotions, Momo began to walk toward her leader.

Seeing this, Dante was about to dash forward in an attempt to save the young woman. However, his path was blocked by the blade of a katana drawn lightning fast. "Uh, uh, uh," Gin sang, his grin widening even more. "This is a private moment. I'm afraid I can't let you just barge in."

"Damn it…" Dante hissed. Acknowledging his predicament, Dante drew his other sword and stood in an offensive position. "Fine then. I'll just go through you and get at Aizen!" Hearing this, Nemu also stood offensively. In her mind, her chance of success was slim to none. However, teaming up with Dante may increase those chances.

With "The Divine Spirit of Language" from Star Ocean: Till the End of Time playing from his device, Dante and Nemu charged into battle. Dante slashed at the albino captain with quick and furious strikes from his blades. However, Gin managed to block the attacks with ease before striking down with a slash of his own. Dante crossed his swords in order to block the maneuver, though the foe's spiritual pressure made him struggle to keep the foe's sword away. Luckily, Nemu was just above and ready to use a counter attack. Gin saw this and quickly hopped away just as Nemu's kick hit the ground. Using her agility and speed, the lieutenant dashed ahead and used multiple kicks and slashes from her own katana. Though as with Dante, Gin was able to dodge and block all of her attacks. After a couple of minutes of dodging and blocking, the captain managed to bounce one of Nemu's strokes off his blade. This caused the lieutenant to stagger back and gave Gin the opportunity to counter. Before his blade met with Nemu's body, Dante managed to block the attack with one of his katanas and strike with the other. Gin managed to push away the blocking weapon just in time to distance himself from the striking sword.

"Nemu! Go and get Momo out of there! Leave Sir Smirk-a-lot to me." Dante called to the lieutenant, who responded with a nod. He then turned back to Gin to make sure he wouldn't go after the young woman and impede on her task.

The captain maintained his cheshire grin as he focused on the renegade. "What's wrong? I would have thought you were stronger than this," the albino warrior replied. "Maybe you understand that you're playing a game you can't win."

"You don't know me, Casper," Dante replied as he twirled both swords in his hands. "So let me break it down for you. I'm in it to win it and I play for keeps!" The black teen then began charging his spiritual pressure, standing in a guard position while doing so. Still gathering power, the black teen's strength continued to increase. "Whenever you see my face, you know what it is!"

As the black teen gathered spiritual energy, Gin was starting to feel a spike in the temperature. He watched as the black swordsman's aura began to waver like heat, his red eyes becoming more pronounced. "Well, you may not be as weak as I thought. Yet this all feels strangely familiar."

"Maybe it's because you see yourself ready to get your ass beat!" Dante replied. "You must be a psychic or something."

"Oh, really? Then maybe I should cut you down before that comes to pass." Using his shunpo, the captain was in the air just above Dante and ready to strike him down. Quickly, the black swordsman fired a laser which nearly hit the captain had he not moved off to the side. With his foe now on the ground, Dante raced forward and attempted to slash, but was stopped as Gin flung pieces of the floor at the black teen. Dante managed to block against the debris, but saw the captain's blade coming in to stab him. The maverick avoided the albino captain's trick and shunpoed behind him, hoping to slash at his head. The captain reacted by ducking the blow and slashing upward. Dante blocked the hits, but was being juggled in the air by each strike before his opponent jumped and slashed at the black teen back.

Dante slid across the ground before using one of his swords to stop. Knowing that his spiritual pressure was high enough, the black teen held one of his swords out in front. "Shred with the rage of the past! Kowa ro Shii Maru!" With his lightsaber shiki released, the black teen quickly dashed at Gin once more with increased speed, both weapons trailing behind. Once the two met, they began parrying one another's blows. Their strikes were quick and deadly and they matched one another in speed. The clanging of blades and the crackle of Dante's energy sword deafened their ears.

After a few minutes, the two locked weapons before bouncing back. The duel between the two combatants seemed to effect Dante, who was trying to catch his breath. Gin, on the other hand, only smiled at his foe. "Well, this is a surprise. I wouldn't have expected you would keep up for this long. Quite impressive," the captain replied with a congratulatory tone. Dante only scoffed in response. "Before I kill you, tell me your name and why you came here."

"You really want to know? The name's Dante Blaine, and I'm here to represent by droppin' you and your partner's ass."

"My what a colorful vocabulary we have. I guess it's true what they say about people with little intelligence and smack talk."

"Really? Beats being someone who can Jim Gaffigan look like a brother," Dante shot back. "Seriously, it must be trouble going to sleep when you light up like a Roman candle. And then that smile. I mean sure Botox is good for some people. But when you can't break out of face, you just might need to stop going."

Gin chortled at the remark. "You are quite the comedian, I'll give you that," he said just before he disappeared from view. With his reflexes taking over, Dante twisted to the side and brought his lightsaber up just as his foe's zanpakuto struck. Now the captain was towering over the black teen. His spiritual pressure and grin leaked out murderous intent. "But I'm afraid that's not going to save you."

"Sure it is. Hell, everybody loves listening to my charming, lovely voice as I beat their ass."

"Yes. I'm sure they all appreciate listening to someone whose voice gives the same effect as sandpaper to wood and Rickrolling."

"Oh, touche," Dante replied. "Low blow, but you still get a point." The black teen used shunpo to distance himself from the soul reaper and fire a couple of lasers. Gin jumped over the particle blasts, somersaulting forward before bringing his sword down. Dante quickly backed away from the strike before using the bottom hook of his beam weapon to wrap around the foe's blade. He then slung himself forward and swiped Gin with a spinning attack.

The captain slid back from the bladed revolution and turned to the black teen. Hair fluttered to the ground where he once stood. Now the shinigami's fox-like smile was gone as he watched Dante fire another beam. However, Gin managed to free his blade and swat away the beam. The captain then crouched down, his sword arm pulled back. "Shoot to kill, Shinso!" The albino captain then threw his arm forward and his zanpakuto's blade began to extend at high speeds like a bullet from a gun.

Dante saw that the sharp end of the sword was aimed straight to his head. Reacting quickly, the rogue bent his body backwards and blocked the strike with crossed swords. Shinso only missed by inches, though it did manage scratch the black teen's forehead, causing him to bleed a bit. The shiki continued to travel until it hit the wall, breaking off pieces. Still, even thought the enemy's sword was pinned, the black teen could still feel Gin pushing down own him. The black teen also knew that Gin could recall and shoot Shinso again at anytime. He can only react and adapt so many times.

"That's enough, Ichimaru," the smooth yet calm voice of Aizen called out. Gin's smile returned to his face as he recalled his sword. Feeling that this was something of a victory (though it was technically a draw), the captain jumped back and landed next to Aizen. He stood at his fellow captain's side patiently.

When Dante turned to Aizen and stood with shocked eyes. Standing in front of Sosuke with his sword still impaling her abdomen was Momo, whose face was still painted with horror by her captain's betrayal. The black teen then turned to the building and saw Nemu's body sitting up bloodied and restrained by a strong kido spell. "I'm sorry…" she weakly said to her partner. "I tried, Dante…"

"Damn it!" Dante replied.

Just as he was about to move to her location, the black teen stopped in his tracks as he heard Aizen call out, "I wouldn't leave if I were you." Dante turned around and saw the bloody body of Momo flying towards him. The black teen manage to catch the young woman before she hit the ground. His shirt was smeared in the young woman's blood.

"C-Captain Aizen…" she said weakly. "How c-could you…" The lieutenant then passed out. The shinigami was quickly loosing blood from her stab wound.

Seeing this madness, for once in his life, Dante was disgusted. Aizen not only humiliated Nemu, but attempted to murder his own subordinate in cold blood. Dante, a young man with little convictions, thought this was low even in his book. "You's a bitch-ass nigga, Aizen!" he shouted.

"My, what a foul mouth," Aizen said in a mock tone. "I expected so much from you, Dante Blaine."

Hearing the traitor speak his name so casually made Dante cringe in shock. There was no way this man would know who he was. "What the hell gives you the right to call my name!?" he shouted. "'Dante Blaine.' You say it like you know me or something." Aizen merely chuckled, seemingly savoring every second of the black teen's insulted liberties. "Answer me, you son of a bitch!"

"I guess for you, it has been such a long time. The last I saw of you was after you escaped that lab."

"What!? You know about the lab!? You're saying…" Dante was beginning to understand what the man was saying. "Now way… It was you all along… You were the one who did all of this…?" The black teen was mortified by the news. All of these years, he wished to know who was responsible for all those experiments. Now that he knew the answer, he felt the wind knock out of him, almost too hard to breathe.

"That's correct, Dante. I'm the one who hired those scientists. I'm the one who found those zanpakuto. And I'm the one who made you what you are today," Aizen said. Dante was speechless. He knew that someone from here was behind his misfortune. Of course, there was no way he thought it would also be part of this conspiracy. Acknowledging this mortified the black teen. "Would you like to hear a story? I promise you will be very bemused." Before Aizen could continue, he felt the presence of someone's spiritual energy coming to the chamber. "Perhaps I will tell you later. Right now, it seems that an expected guest has come to visit."

Dante turned his attention to the entrance of the chamber and saw a young child who was just above the four foot line with snow white hair and a long katana strapped to his back. The black teen knew who this was. After all, he was one of the first people he met when he first arrived in the Seireitei. It was Toshiro Hitsugaya, captain of the 10th Division. _"Toshiro…"_ Dante thought. _"Oh crap…"_

"Hey, Toshiro," Aizen said with a wave.

The young captain was shocked by seeing the supposedly dead captain. "What's going on here?" he asked. "Is that really you Aizen? Or is this some kind of trick?"

"No trick, Toshiro. This is really me," the brown-haired man said. "Would you excuse me for a minute." He then turned to Gin. "Gin, Toshiro arrived here sooner than schedule. I believe you may have an explanation for this."

"Forgive me, sir," Gin said. "I guess Izuru was unable to keep him at bay."

"What are you two saying?" Toshiro interjected. "What is going on?"

"Oh, it was nothing," Aizen said. "We were just speaking of the finer points of strategy. To be more precise, we were speaking of the breaking down of an enemy's fighting power."

"Enemy?" Hearing this, Toshiro scanned his surroundings until his eyes turned to Dante, who was still sitting over Momo's body with an unconscious Nemu a few feet away. Realizing that his childhood friend maybe in serious jeopardy, Toshiro used his shunpo to get to her location. Seeing this, the black teen hurried out of the way using his own shunpo technique. Seeing Momo's grave injuries, Toshiro knelt quietly over his companion stunned who was barely breathing. _"No… This can't be… Momo…"_ he thought in distraught and disbelief. One of his worse fears have finally come to pass. He swore to himself that he would always protect Momo from whatever harm came her way. However, it would seem he was too late. The young captain stood up and was now trying desperately to battle with his emotions. Everyone in the chamber could feel the temperature in the room gradually drop to cold levels. Between the three conscious contemporaries in the room, only Dante was the one who seemed to pale. "Do you know what you did, ryoka…?" Toshiro asked with a sharp, yet low tone. "Momo was my best friend and someone I care deeply for. Then you… You came and did this, didn't you?"

"Hey, yo! I don't know what you're talkin' about!"

"Shut up!" he replied. "I can sense you're spiritual pressure. It may have changed, but I can tell that you're that Deinonychus who I crossed paths with a couple of days ago." Dante was surprised by Toshiro's observation. Sure his spiritual energy doesn't change drastically between forms. However, his power and spiritual pressure did between that interval. It was surprising to see that the captain was able to remember who he was. "For the past few days, you've been wreaking havoc at my expense. But this… I never thought it would escalate this far…"

"H-Hold up, Cap!" Dante said. "This ain't what it looks like!"

"Oh, really!?" Toshiro said as he spun around, his spiritual pressure now exuding from his body. "Then what is it, really? Hinamori's blood is covering your shirt! What excuse do you have for that!?"

"Look I have a skin-tight alibi that would explain everything in the simplest matter possible," Dante said with raised hands. "… I didn't do it."

Hearing this, Hitsugaya's fists clenched tightly from what could be the worse four letter excuse to possibly be given. "Do you think this is a joke… Do you actually think I would believe such a simple excuse!?"

"Oh shit…" was the only thing Dante could mutter. _"I knew I shouldn't have taken legal advice from Michael Vick."_

"Enough of this!" Hitsugaya drew his sword from his sheath, holding the long blade out to the side. His reiryoku levels began to rise. At the same time, the room. "I will make you pay for everything that you've done. You will pay for what you did to Momo." Dante stood still, amazed by such a high spiritual pressure. It was too bad that all that energy would be used against the black teen. Yet at the same time, the black teen sensed something strange about the shinigami's reiryoku. It felt similar to something he knows, but what was it? "Any last words before you die?"

Pushing these thoughts aside, Dante knew that Toshiro was not in the listening mood. If he didn't defend himself from Toshiro, the maverick would be nothing more than a dead man encased in an ice coffin. "As awesome as it would be to get killed by you, I just don't have the time," he said as he drew both swords from his back and set his Ipod to "So Cold" by Celph Titled and Oktober. "Just so you know, I'm Dante Blaine." He then turned to Aizen with a murderous look on his face. The traitorous captain only watched him with a deceitfully innocent smile. Dante then pointed one of his swords at the white-haired leader. "Usually, I wouldn't go up against a kid. But seeing that this is the big leagues, I'll try not to put you down for a dirt nap."

"Is that a fact. Well then, how about I introduce myself," replied the shinigami. "I am Captain of Squad 10, Toshiro Hitsugaya. Usually, I would have let past incidents slide. However, after what you did, do not think you will be spared. Remember me as I send you straight to hell!" Toshiro rushed toward Dante at full speed with his sword aimed at his opponent. The battle had begun and Aizen only watched on the sidelines in amusement.

To Be Continued…

* * *

Author's Note 1: In the next, and certainly final chapter, Dante and Hitsugaya finally go at it. It's a powerful battle between polar opposites. Tactical genius versus urequited street smarts. Frozen desire for retribution against burning hot passion for revenge. Dutiful balance versus wild insanity. Plus, an exciting and unexpected revelation will be unveiled. You don't want to miss this conclusion.


	16. Chapter 15

Ch. 15

Toshiro rushed toward Dante at full speed, his sword aimed at his target. Dante quickly sidestepped from the attack just as Toshiro struck and countered with a slash of his own. The black teen's attack was blocked by the smaller opponent before being shoved back. Dante retaliated with a strike from his second sword, but missed as Toshiro jumped and used an overhead strike. However, the attack was guarded against as Dante held both blades up in a crossed position. He pushed the captain away and, with one sword held backward, struck the shinigami. Toshiro guarded against the unorthodox maneuver, but Dante used it as a diversion as his second sword flew at his head to stab him. Seeing this, the young prodigy swung his head to the side and distanced himself from his dark-skinned adversary. The captain then swung his metal chain, wrapping around one of Dante's blades. The black teen noticed the crescent-shaped blade now decorating his sword, but was unable to react as he was forcefully reeled in like a fish on a line.

Sailing toward the foe, the maverick threw his leg out in an attempt to kick the foe. Before the kick made contact, Toshiro evaded with a sidestep and swung his sword in an attempt to slash his leg. However, Dante managed to block with his free weapon before the hit made contact. Backing away, the black teen rushed forward and began attacking with fast and furious strikes. Even with the speed and surprising accuracy, Toshiro was just as fast at blocking and evading Dante's raid. Soon, the captain used the chain to stop the movement of one of his foe's swords and guard against the other. Now the two were locked, with Dante using his taller stature in an attempt to overpower his opponent. However, it was Toshiro who shoved Dante away, putting distance between themselves.

Now out of reach, the white-haired juvenile pulled his chain with enough force to yank Dante's blade out of his hand and toss it to the side. Forced to fight with a single blade, the black teen placed his empty hand on to the hilt of his only zanpakuto and stood with the weapon held in front. The captain-level soul reaper also stood in the same posture, biding his time for the next attack.

After a few seconds, both opponents charged forth and jumped in the air. Once they met, the two fighters slashed just before landing. Blood stained the sides of their bodies, but the injuries were not too severe. Toshiro spun around and swung his chain again in an attempt to lace it around his enemy's weapon. However, Dante swatted the hook away and saw the enemy shinigami race toward him. The two started to parry blows, trading slashes and blocking moves. After a few minutes of exchanging strikes, both young men were locked once more. Parts of their clothes were slashed open from their swordplay. They glared one another down with gritted teeth, yet each expression hid their reasons for battle (Toshiro for misguided vengeance and pride while Dante for revenge and survival). _"Just as I thought,"_ Dante thought. _"This fool's no pushover. If I wanna live through this, I best keep my swagga up."_

"_His ability to use two weapons is impressive. He was able to match me move per move,"_ Toshiro pondered. _"Since he is only relying on one sword, I might have a chance to end this."_

"_I'm down by one sword, but I'm still good to go."_ Pulling their katanas back, both warriors quickly struck their weapons at the same time. Due to the force of the blows, both swordsmen bounced back from the rebounded strikes. Quickly, Toshiro rushed at Dante and managed to deliver a few powerful strikes, the last of which sent him in the air. The captain then leapt up and was ready to attack once more. However, Dante quickly recovered and managed make a couple of strikes of his own before bouncing off of the white-haired warrior's chest with his feet. "Holla at yo' boy! Time to get red in the face!" the black teen replied as he used his Assault Wing to boost his strength.

Toshiro saw this and sensed his power increase as he watched a red glow surround his body. Quickly, the shinigami held his arm extended and began focusing his spiritual energy. "Hado 63! Sprinkled on the bones of the beast! Sharp tower, red crystal, steel ring. Move and become the wind, stop and become the calm. The sound of warring spears fills the empty castle! Raikoho!" he shouted as a powerful yellow blast began surging toward Dante at high speed like lightning. Unable to counter the mystic art, Dante was hit by the powerful blow, feeling the shock head on. Once the attack was over, the black teen fell to his knees, his head slumped back and staring at the ceiling above.

* * *

Meanwhile, still standing near the tower, Sosuke and Gin watched the battle from a distance. Sosuke face displayed an amused smile. He focused on Dante's limp body like a patient spectator, studying him carefully. He could tell that the young man still had some fight left in him. "Captain, do you think we should leave?" asked Gin. "After all, we are currently behind schedule."

"Actually," Aizen began, "We have all the time in the world. After all, it's always entertaining to watch a sibling rivalry like this. Wouldn't you agree, Gin?"

Gin turned to his fellow captain with a bewildered expression. Of course, he shoved his brief skepticism aside in order to watch the duel. In all honesty, he did enjoy watching a good fight. For him, there was nothing more fun than watching a life or death struggle.

* * *

Back on the battlefield, Toshiro stood at the ready. Instinct told him that his enemy was not defeated yet, even after such a high level spell. Once he heard the sounds of light chuckles from Dante's direction, his assumptions were laid to rest. "Not bad, Lil' Whitey. Didn't think you could bust a move like that." Dante said as he threw his head forward and began standing up. His body was still a bit singed by the magic spell. Once he stood on his feet, the black teen began to chortle. "Now it's my turn to freestyle." With his arm held out, the began to charge his energy, ready to use one of his berserks. "Lagi style. Let the power of thunder rend. Set a smolder by the wrath of heaven. Unleash and set asunder! Lightning Storm!"

Toshiro was unable to react in time as lightning from above hit the ground. The captain was pelted by multiple electricity strikes. _"Damn,"_ he thought . _"What was that? I've never hard of such a hado spell?"_ His train of thought was interrupted as he saw Dante looming overhead, ready to deliver a slash. Even though he was wounded by the shocks, the young captain still had enough strength to block his enemy's blow and kick him in the stomach. Dante staggered back and held his midsection before his enemy began to strike. Dante tried to block the hits, but his efforts were in vain as his body flew back and rolled along the ground.

Once he recovered, Dante looked up and saw that Toshiro wasn't through yet. The captain was coming in fast and was ready to deliver a killing blow. Dante quickly sat in a kneeling position and held his arms out. "Lagi style! Retaliation Orbs!" Before Toshiro slashed the black teen, three orbs of colorful light formed around Dante and blocked the attack. The soul reaper captain tried to pierce through the balls of light, but he bounced back from the attack. Once Dante returned to his feet he told the captain, "Payback's a bitch!" Countering the shinigami's failed attempt, the orbs traveled toward Toshiro at blinding speed. He tried to block the attacks, but the orb's small size made that an impossible task as they darted through him. The strikes were not lethal, but they still inflicted some damage. Using his counterstrike as another diversion, Dante decided to prepared another berserk. "Time to hulk up!" Using his gathered spiritual energy, Dante increased his defense using Protection Wing as his body exuded a green aura.

Recovering from the weak attack, Toshiro went on the offensive. He slashed and stabbed at the black teen. However, the maverick was keeping up with his strikes. He blocked and dodged against the strong attacks, using his enhanced defensive capabilities to their fullest. Soon, the two locked blades yet again, but that only lasted a second as Toshiro moved back and slashed at Dante's legs. However, Dante jumped over the attack and was bringing his own sword down upon the prodigy. However, another stalemate was met as the white-haired captain brought his sword up to block the attack.

After gaining a firm footing, Dante began to slowly push against Toshiro's blade. Even though the captain was lighter and smaller, the shinigami used his spiritual pressure in order to push back. The shoving match was evenly tied as both swordsmen moved each other inch by inch. The two gradually increased their spiritual pressure for a few minutes. Suddenly, Dante's reiatsu suddenly took a dramatic spike. This sudden burst momentarily caught Toshiro by surprise. Using this to his advantage, Dante began pushing the warrior back with a short sprint before delivering a strong slash.

Due to the force of the attack, the white-haired captain slid a couple meters back. Slowly, the young prodigy stood up, tired from the attack, and felt his chest was wet. Looking down, Toshiro saw a laceration which ripped through his robe. Blood soaked his top around his cut. He then turned to Dante, who was panting from fatigue. It was evident that their power struggle had exhausted both of them. _"Such power… So this is the strength of the swords that ryouka possesses,"_ Toshiro thought. _"Even with one, he is still matching most of my attacks. And those abilities… They're not the Demon Arts. What the hell is he…?"_

"_I got Whitey up against a wall now,"_ Dante thought. _"But that shit I pulled left me pretty drained. I can't keep this up forever. Which means it's time to step my game up and unleash the dragon!!"_ Turning his eyes to the platform where the tower stood, he focused on Nemu. The young woman was still injured from the attacks she sustained from Aizen. _"Nemu, I swear I'll get that bastard Aizen. For the both of us…"_

"_Even with his added power, there is no way I'll let him live. Hyorinmaru, it's time to awaken..."_ Both Dante and Toshiro held their swords off to the side and glared. Their spiritual pressures began to fluctuate. Leaping into the covered in a light blue aura, Toshiro shouted, "Sit upon the frozen heavens! Hyorinmaru!" Extending from his blade was the shape of a slender, serpentine dragon with long jaws filled with sharp teeth and red eyes. The creature's form danced around Toshiro, it's growls echoing through the room. "Your moments on this plane of existence are numbered! Prepare for a cold death!"

"Yeah, I admit that's pretty cool," Dante said as he charged his spirit energy. "But while you may be cool, I'm the one who's on fire!" With that, an aura of blood red began radiating from his body like a searing hot flame. "This comedy might be divine but it's no joke! Time to enter my inferno, straight from the five circles of death! Burst with the fury of the future! Akumu hi Ryuujin!" With a flash of light, Dante's sword transformed into its scythe stage. With its laser blade glowing a bright crimson red, the serrated edges along the roof of the weapon started to run like teeth on a buzz saw. Dante charged forth at his airborne target, the scythe's blade streaking from behind.

With a slash of his long blade, Hyorinmaru flowed ahead gracefully as he returned to the ground. It twisted and turned as it made its way toward the black teen. Once it arrived, the dragon's giant jaws open wide and was ready to rip Dante with its sharp teeth. Before it could do so, Dante began slashing the dragon with the weapon's blade in front. Blocks and shards of ice flew in all directions as he deflected the onslaught of the frozen beast. Once Dante destroyed the dragon, the black teen swung his laser blade, firing four powerful particle beams at the captain. Seeing the beams approach, Toshiro went on the defensive. With a single swipe of his blade, the captain created an ice barrier which blocked the lasers. He then leapt over his barricade and launched three streams of frozen water. Using his shunpo, the black teen dodged the strikes before launching his berserk: Hunting Scythe. Once the green shockwave met Toshiro's attack, a cloud of steam spread from the impact, blanketing them both in a thick screen.

Using his weapon's ability, Dante's eyesight changed from regular sight to a heat-seeking ability. He scanned his surroundings carefully, stalking through the cover. The only noise he can hear was the low hum of his laser scythe. A few moments passed before he saw a cold blue object a couple meters in the distance. Knowing it was Toshiro due to the low body temperature, Dante charged headlong to his target. He gripped his scythe tightly as he approached. Before he could strike, Toshiro twisted his body around and blocked the stroke. It was clear that the captain was expecting a sneak attack. "Did you think that little trick would work on me?" the white-haired prodigy asked. "You may have stealth, but I can still sense your spiritual energy."

"So much for my slick ninja skills," Dante said as he pulled back to strike again. Once more, Toshiro blocked Dante's attack. The captain then used his shunpo and appeared behind him to deliver a strike of his own. The black teen turned around and blocked the strike before twisting his scythe, causing Toshiro to loose hold of the weapon's pole. The captain quickly moved out of the way just before Dante swiped. He then countered by rushing towards the black teen, sliding along the ground with a trail of ice not too far behind. The maverick ryouka held his weapon up in an attempt to block. However, thanks to the momentum of Toshiro's blitz, Dante was still struck by the blow. He fell back and bounced on the ground before quickly returning to his feet. Toshiro then flung the chain of his weapon towards the recovering teen. Dante reacted by swinging his scythe forward to block the crescent blade. Instead, the chain wrapped around the top of the pole and started freezing that section. As the ice spread, the scythe's laser blade flickered off. "What the hell!?" Dante replied in shock as the steam dissapated.

"This is Hyorinmaru's shiki ability. Not only can I use my ice-type powers, but the chain on my zanpakuto can freeze anything it touches! Your advanced gadget has just become your liability."

Before the ice could spread any further, Dante pulled away from weapon. _"Shit… I guess it's time to turn up the heat."_ Sensing his dire situation, the young rogue used the heat from his spiritual pressure to gradually melt the ice. Acting fast, Toshiro dashed forward and slashed. Dante quickly brought the pole of his weapon up before the strike. It was a close call as the sharp blade was mere inches from his throat. In retaliation, the black teen pushed Toshiro's blade away and jabbed the captain with the blunt end of his scythe in the stomach. The force of the blow knocked the wind out of the captain. Capitalizing on his stunned opponent, Dante vaulted forward and kicked the prodigy. The attack sent the foe a few feet and onto his back, leaving Dante to melt the ice for a few more seconds. Once most of the ice was melted, the black teen activated the chainsaw roof to shatter the block, allowing the laser blade to reactivate. "Haha! Back in business!" Dante replied as he shot the bottom end of his scythe at the enemy, connected by a chain.

Toshiro recovered from the earlier attack and saw the tip and chain coming at him. Quickly, the captain threw his head to the side in order to avoid getting hit. The tip flew past its target's head before it embedded itself to the ground just behind him. The white-haired captain then turned ahead and saw Dante propelling toward him. Apparently, the black teen was using the tip of his weapon to help close the distance between them. Once in range, and still above the ground, Dante brought his scythe down with all his might. Toshiro blocked the strike before the lethal blow could cause any fatal damage. The black teen's feet returned to the ground once they're weapons met and the chain retracted to the bottom of the pole.

The captain began striking Dante with swift blows. The black teen blocked the hits before flash stepping to the side and delivering slashes of his own. The captain was forced to step back while blocking each strike. Even from a distance, the rogue's attacks were still strong, fast, and accurate. Sparks flew as the rattling teeth and katana's blade collided.

After a few more blocked strokes, Toshiro dashed to the side, heading straight for Dante. The black teen shot laser beams at the foe, but the enemy used his speed to evade them. Once in range, Toshiro used another baseball slide to knock him off his feet. Getting back up, the captain then used a downward stroke in hopes of finishing him off. Reacting to the stroke, Dante brought his scythe over his body and used to pole to block the hit. For a few seconds, the white-haired prodigy was pushing down on Dante, who was struggling to keep him back. Dante brought his feet back and kicked Toshiro in the chest. Seeing the enemy stagger back, Dante decided to regroup and distance himself from the captain. After catching a short breathe, both the black teen and the ice-wielding captain stood in defensive positions. "You're not bad, Sub-Zero," Dante said. "Then again, you is a captain. Hell, if I were anyone else, you'd have iced me by now."

"Don't patronize me!" replied Toshiro. "Now answer me this question. The other ryouka, the ones we captured along with a rogue shinigami, came here in order to save Rukia, right?"

"So you knew. Not bad for someone that can't reach the top shelf," Dante quipped.

"Shut up!" Toshiro shouted. Before Dante could blink, the white-haired captain was already pressing up against the black teen's weapon. Even in the heat of battle, the young prodigy did not enjoy his liberties (in this case his height) to be insulted. "As I was saying…" the young captain began, this time with a lowered though still angry tone. "While they were fighting for a cause, you seem to be going around the Seireitei commiting random acts. What is your purpose for being here?"

"My purpose… is to find a someone," Dante replied.

Toshiro only bared his teeth at the rogue warrior. He didn't know what he was talking about. "Explain," he ordered.

"For as long as I could remember, I've been trying to find the one who did this to me. Who took me from my family and burned down my home. Then they used me as a guinea pig for some twisted-ass experiments. Every time I use these zanpakuto, I'm reminded of the day everything went down the shitter and the pain I went through because of that bastard. And now, I want me some payback."

"You're telling me that this is all a personal vendetta?"

"You got that right. Don't get me wrong, I did help save Rukia. I mean, I can have some fun on the side, no lie. But still, all I want is to kick the ass of the motherfucker responsible for all of this."

"So then why did you hurt Momo!? Why did you take Nemu?"

"I didn't take Nemu!" Dante replied defensively. "She wanted to come help me. But if I knew this would happen, I would have left her at the SRDI. But Momo…" The black teen distanced himself from the soul reaper and looked at him sternly. "Read my lips. I. Did not. Touch. Her."

"Why should I believe you!?" Toshiro replied. "My friend is clinging to life because of you!"

"Wrong! Your girl is clinging because of _you_!" Dante shot back as he pointed his scythe at Toshiro. The soul reaper stood stunned with widened eyes. "Nemu and I… We tried to save Momo because you weren't here! Don't try and push the blame on me because you couldn't stop her in the first place!"

Toshiro gritted his teeth. The nerve of some ryouka talking down to him like that made his blood boil. Even so, somewhere on the back of his mind, Toshiro knew the biting truth to Dante's claims. He underestimated Momo's kido abilities and her ingenuity with the arts. He felt he should have known something like this would happen. Then Momo would not be in near death. However, he still felt the need for retaliation and for Dante, it was a case of being at the wrong place at the wrong time. "You bastard… Shut the hell up!" Toshiro shouted. A powerful gust of wind suddenly swept past Dante along with a drop in temperature. The maverick shielded his face from the rush of air, but peeked through a space between his arms in order to see what was happening.

Toshiro stood with his sword held out to the side and light blue spirit energy circling around him. He then raised his blade in the air and said with a chilling voice, "Bankai." Upon command, the serpentine Hyorinmaru flew from the tip of it's wielder's zanpakuto and then returned to the ground where it encircled the young prodigy. Its coiled then began to shine with a bright light. Dante closed his eyes from the intense glow until it dimmed. As the strong winds finally subsiding, the black teen dropped his arms and saw the ground around him covered in ice. He then turned to his opponent and stared in awe. Toshiro now had massive wings and a long tail sprouting from his back all made of ice. Settled on his left hand was another hand with four sharp claws while the entirety of his right arm was covered in the shape of a dragon's head and neck. His feet were also covered in the icy clawed feet. Floating behind him were three large ice stars, each with four diamonds. "Daiguren Hyorinmaru!" Toshiro announced.

Dante was speechless by Toshiro's transformation. Such power, not to mention its appearance, was quite impressive. After a minute of gawking, Dante finally spoke. "Damn, G!" he replied enthusiastically as he clapped his hands. "That shit is straight-up dope. You was cool before, but man! You's iced out, pimpin'! Shit, bet the hoes be chillin' wit you! Staying more frosty than motherfucka!"

"_I didn't think I would have to use my bankai,"_ Toshiro thought. _"However, due to his power and ability, I have no choice but to go at full strength. My bankai should be enough to take him down."_ Assured of his power, Toshiro launched forward with a flap of his wings. His sword held out forward, the young shinigami was coming in fast. Dante quickly leaped to the side in order to avoid getting skewered. However, he was struck from behind by the tapering tail of Toshiro's bankai. The black teen turned around and saw a wave of ice snaking along the ground and heading straight for him. Before he could respond, Dante was thrown back in the air by the glacial wave. With Dante now airborne, Toshiro flew toward the black teen. Hovering over him, Toshiro was ready to strike the young teen. Seeing the cut ready to be delivered, Dante recovered and managed to block the strike just in the nick of time. However, the force of the blow sent Dante slamming to the ground, creating a crater from his hard fall.

The black teen slowly returned to his feet, the landing making most of his body ache. He then looked up and saw a large ice blast came sailing from above. Dante rolled out of the way to avoid the attack. Once the blast hit the ground, the cracks were covered in tall, sharp icicles. Getting back to his feet, the black teen fired his lasers at Toshiro. However, Toshiro folded his wings in front of his body, effectively shielding himself from the light beams. The black teen shot more lasers at the captain, but the particle blasts proved useless against those thick ice wings. Toshiro quickly countered and shot more ice daggers. Dante was forced to use his agility in order to dodge the enemy's frozen flurry. He knew that if either blow connected, he would be frozen solid.

After a few minutes of firing multiple shots at Dante, Toshiro began to breathe hard. He could feel that his power running low. From behind, one of his stars disintegrated, leaving only two left. _"One of my flowers is destroyed,"_ the captain thought. _"I must finish Dante off soon."_

Seeing one of Toshiro's stars break, the black teen came to an observation. _"That's right. Those snowflakes are like a timer or a little gas gauge,"_ he thought. _"He can only stay in bankai for so long before he runs out of steam. But that don't mean I'll last until then…"_ His train of thought was interrupted by a loud roar from above. Closing in on him were the jaws of Hyorinmaru. Dante quickly moved out of the way just as the ice dragon crashed to the ground and became a tower of solid ice. From above, Toshiro summoned another Hyorinmaru. With his arm held forward, the black teen used another berserk. "Lagi style! Judgement Day!" Dante shouted as two explosions errupted between both combatants. They expanded in size and rose in heat and were able to melt the ice dragon. Toshiro used his agility to move out of the attack's path. Once the explosions subsided, the captain saw Dante had become exhausted. He knew that desperation move took a lot of energy from his opponent. The prodigy fired a flurry of iceballs, but Dante managed to use his shunpo in order to avoid the attacks.

After dodging each strike, the black teen turned to his left and saw his sealed sword, Kowa ro Shii Maru, lying on the ground. With his weapon, the black maverick dashed to his blade. He zigzagged in order to dodge Toshiro's icy raid. As soon as he grabbed the sword's grip, Dante suddenly felt numb from his left lower leg down to the foot and unceremoniously fell to the ground. He flipped over to a sitting position and saw his leg encased in a block of ice. He slowly hobbled to his one foot, using his scythe for balance. Seeing his opponent partially frozen, Toshiro lowered himself until he hovered just above the ground. "It's over, Dante," he said sternly. "I will finish you off and give Momo and Nemu the justice they deserve." The captain held his blade back, ready to end Dante's life. Before he could deliver the final blow, the young captain stopped as he watched Dante laugh. The prodigy had never seen anyone laugh mere seconds before their demise. Still, such odd (if not loud) behavior was getting on the young man's nerves. "What are you laughing about?" he replied. "You know you're going to die! What's wrong with you?"

"Oh me? Nothing. I'm just happy I got to fight ya. Let me give you the 4-1-1. You're one of only five people that's come close to killing me. It's a real treat," Dante answered. "If the situation was different and I had no more cards to play, I wouldn't mind getting killed by your sword. That or dying after tapping Kim Kardashian's ass or being known as a hero for saving the world from menacing clowns and mimes, the true evil in the world. But still, this brother's got an ace up his sleeve. And what better time to use it than now?"

"What!?" was all Toshiro could say before he felt Dante's spiritual pressure suddenly rise. The red aura was now engulfing his body like a huge flash fire. The ice near him and on his leg began to thaw due to the intensity of the heat. The black teen held his scythe horizontally while he gathered his power. With a smile on his face and resolve at an all time high, Dante enthusiastically shouted, "Bankai!" Upon command, the inferno became a blazing tornado that swirled around Dante.

"_This can't be possible…"_ he thought with sweat beading from his face. _"This ryouka has actually learned bankai. It's not possible…" _After a minute of watching the flames dance, the blaze soon died down, creating a black smokescreen. As the black fog dissipated, the young prodigy saw a rather wide shape starting to form. Once the smoke cleared, Toshiro found himself face-to-face with Dante in his new bankai form.

Unlike the Deadpool-esque ensemble, this time Dante was wearing different attire. His black pants were thick with wide bottoms that curved upward. He had on a sleeveless red shirt and bandages wrapped around his arms. His upper body was also covered in a large blood red tattered cloak. A black headband with a symbol of two sharp teeth with an 'X' in the middle adorned his forehead. Situated around his waist were two holsters containing a pair of medium-sized guns with a red shell-like covering and green blades resting on top. His sealed sword was strapped to the back. Placing his hands on the two weapons, he quickly drew them from their pockets and revealed a few other features. Popping from his cloak was a pair of wings similar to the dragonmare spirit along with its flexible red tail armed with a sharp hook at the end. The back of his thighs each sported a long toe. "Konran Akumu hi Ryuujin!" he shouted as hhis massive wings rattled and his tail swung in all directions. "Time to jack some shit up in this peace!"

Toshiro couldn't believe what he was seeing. Another warrior who also wielded a dragon-like spirit. Even though it isn't a naturally forged sword, it's power could not be overlooked. _"This spiritual pressure… It's immense…" _Toshiro thought. _"It's almost on the same level as the burst on Sokyoku Hill."

* * *

_

At this time, Aizen's interest now peaked as Dante released his form. Even by his standards, Dante's spiritual pressure was something to take notice. All of these years, now he will see how powerful at least one of these zanpakuto really is. _"So he awakened his inner dragon,"_ the traitor thought. _"Finally. Let's see just how far he's gone."

* * *

_

"Not bad, right?" Dante said as he twirled one of his guns around his index fingers. "This is the first time I've ever released my bankai. Didn't think I'd actually have the chance for a second there." He then stopped spinning his firearms and turned his Ipod to "So Cold" from MadWorld. He then aimed both his weapons at the shinigami and grinned.

"You may have achieved bankai, but it doesn't mean you've mastered it," Toshiro replied. "I have more experience in handling my power than you have carrying a sword."

"Is that right?" Dante asked. "Don't worry about me. I know exactly how to use these babies. But I hope you packed your sunblock, kid. 'Cause in this fight, you're gonna get burned." Dante pulled the trigger of his guns, shooting laser rounds toward Toshiro. The captain dashed to the side before unleashing two ice blasts with a swing of his sword. Dante countered and shot down both strikes with accuracy, a smile forming on his face.

Toshiro only narrowed his eyes as he used shunpo and appeared above Dante. With his sword raised over his head, the captain descended to the ground and was ready to cut his opponent in half. The maverick raised his guns over his head and blocked the captain's sword with his blades. Small as the green daggers were compared to Toshiro's katana, the blades were still able to keep the captain at bay. Toshiro broke the lock and was ready to strike again. This time, Dante managed to back away and was ready to strike with his own daggers. Both warriors parried against each other's weapons with blinding slashes and blocks. After trading blows, Dante distanced himself from Toshiro. "Feel my fangs, kid!" he shouted before launching the blades his daggers at the captain. Toshiro was briefly surprised by the attack, but managed to deflect the weapons.

Both fangs found their way back to their resting positions thanks to a long, thin wire connecting the back of the knives to the top of the guns. The black teen then began to charge his spirit energy for another berserk. Using Berserker Wing, a purple aura radiated from his body, increasing the power of his berserks. Dante then fired at Toshiro once more, but the prodigy shielded himself with his wings. Though the laser shots partially burned the frozen barrier, the soul reaper was still relatively safe. In retaliation, the young prodigy shunpoed behind Dante and was ready to stab. However, the black teen used his own shunpo to jump in the air in order to dodge the attack before rapidly firing at the soul reaper. Toshiro sidestepped from the laser shots' path and slashed his enemy. The black teen avoided the strikes before unleashing his wired daggers once more, swinging and spinning his detached blades at high speeds.

The white-haired genius used his defensive abilities to block the fangs. Knowing his conventional attack was going nowhere, Dante pulled back one of his daggers and kicked it forward. The unorthodox tactic managed to cut Toshiro's right cheek. The black teen then distanced himself and had his fangs travel ahead in hopes of landing another hit. The captain managed to block the sharp blades, bouncing them off his katana. As the fangs recoiled, Toshiro used his shunpo to close in on Dante and deliver a quick slash to his side. The black teen turned around but was too late to respond as Toshiro kicked his chest which tossed him back by a meter. Dante quickly recovered and slid to a stop, but winced from the pain he was feeling from the wound delivered. Seeing a chance to capitalize, the captain summoned Hyorinmaru to finish him off. The dragon flew up in the air and was ready to come down upon the maverick. Before the ice beast struck, the black teen flapped his massive wings to push his body away from the impact zone. The attack missed and created a tower of ice. The white-haired prodigy then heard a crackling noise behind him. He turned around and saw that another of his ice flowers disintegrated. With one star remaining, he knew he had little time left.

Back on the ground, Dante knelt down and breathed heavily from his close call. Thanks to the blood loss, his vision was beginning to blur and his reaction time was slowing down. Standing back up, the black teen used his berserk Heal Maxis to restore health and stop the bleeding. Witnessing Dante's ability, Toshiro displayed gritted teeth. _"Damn it..."_ he thought. _"So he has the ability to regenerate as well. Could all of this be the power of those zanpakuto?"_ Rising up into the air, Toshiro swung his sword from side to side, creating multiple waves of ice. Countering against the frozen crescents, the black teen attacked with Phantom Slashers. Five blades of wind were released and traveled forward. Each air blast sliced apart the oncoming ice, with one surviving strike coming at the attacker fast. Toshiro blocked the Phantom Slasher with his sword and endured the hit. At this time, Dante scanned his surroundings, hoping to find a way to defeat Toshiro. The immediate area was covered in towers of ice and small patches of flames. _"Maybe it's time to see if these things are more than just for show."_ With a plan in mind, Dante began to run up one of the slanted towers.

After a short moment, the captain mustered enough strength to fling the blast of wind off to the side. He looked down ready to attack once again, but saw that the ryouka was gone. As soon as he turned to his left, he saw Dante in the air gliding toward him with outstretched wings. He shot at the captain with rapid laser fire. Toshiro was hit by the raid, but his injuries weren't too severe. The captain countered with a volley of ice that managed to hit the black teen. Once the two crossed, both fighters slashed with their blades before Dante landed on another ice structure behind the prodigy. Blood ran down their respective arms, but the two paid little attention. Dante then proceeded to cut a gash through the pillar before scurrying to the other side. Now unstable, the pillar began to fall toward the captain. Toshiro managed to move out of the falling object's path and launch a stream of ice where Dante perched. The black teen flapped his wings to avoid the attack and leave the ice pillar as it crashed to the floor. Now in the air, the black swordsman flew toward Toshiro, shooting at the ice user. Toshiro used his maneuverability in order to avoid most of the rounds while countering with a large wave of ice. Dante flew over the frozen curve and, now in close range, fired his daggers forward in an attempt to stab Toshiro. Once more, the captain brought his sword up and blocked, his blade able to stop them at their points. After a brief struggle, Dante backed away from the captain and shot his daggers again. Toshiro used his sword to block a second time. Instead, the blades shot past him the captain and pierced through his wings. Toshiro was somewhat confused by the tactic before turning back to see the black teen sailing forward. With his legs outstretched, he kicked the white-haired prodigy in the chest. The strike managed to stun Toshiro, giving Dante the chance shoot the foe with a powerful blast at close range. Unable to counter the attack, the young captain fell to the ground and a cloud of dust covered the landing site. Dante hovered over the air, looking down for any sign of his opponent. _"Did I melt him?"_ His mental thoughts were put to rest as a fast moving projectile of ice headed straight for him. _"Shit! He's still alive!"_ the black teen thought as he moved his body to the side attempting to dodge the attack. However, his evasion method failed as his left wing was caught and frozen by the strike. _"Dammit! I got frosted!"_ Thanks to this, Dante was unable to control his flight and plummeted hard to the ground.

Returning to his feet after such a fall, Dante's body was riddled with bruises and possible broken bones. One wing was still frozen solid while the other was broken, grounding him for sure. Sweat dotted his face as he struggled to return to his feet. The black teen knew that he was running out of gas. He turned to his enemy and saw Toshiro leaning against his sword. Thanks to the fall, chips of ice began to break off the captain's wings. From behind, his flower had already lost two of its petals. Both warriors examined the each other's damage. "Well, this is it," Dante said. "The calm before the storm."

"It would appear so," Toshiro agreed. "This duel of ours will be decided in one final attack."

Dante smirked from Toshiro's statement. "You're damn right. The game was sweet while it lasted. But in the end, a playa knows when the fun's gotta end. But I got one question. Do you really think I'm the cat who hurt your friend?"

Hearing the query, Toshiro closed his eyes in thought. Throughout this battle, he wondered whether or not the individual in front of him was in fact the culprit. The only thing that was clear was that Dante was questing for vengeance the entire time. The reports of incidents involving him were minor at best. Including the one involving the black teen's first encounter with Momo. Their altercation only left the Squad 5 member with a few scratches. There would be no reason for Dante to attack her twice, with a more lethal result. Thinking over these points, Toshiro had his answer. "To be honest, I don't see why you would do it," he said. "Still, even if you didn't hurt Momo, I can't let you go."

"Oh great," Dante said. "So you finally get that I have nothing to do with Momo's accident, but you still want to go at it. What for?"

"You are still a dangerous criminal," Toshiro said. "As captain of the Gotei 13, it is my duty to apprehend or kill any and all threats to the Seireitei."

"Back to being public enemy number one, huh?" Dante said. "That might be a good cover, but I can tell you're enjoying this brawl." That captain said nothing in response to Dante's question. Seeing the white-haired captain hesitance, the black teen smiled. "That's what I thought, G. You may be sitting in a big chair, but you're still a kid. Loosen up a bit and have a little fun. You know the whole saying about work and play, right?"

"You're starting to sound like Captain Zaraki," Toshiro said.

"Maybe I am. But it's still good advice."

Toshiro only gave a calm exhaling breathe. It's funny to hear friendly advice from the person you were trying to kill. Still, the young captain knew, as did his opponent, that in the heat of battle, there were no friends. It was all about survival. Sword held in front, Toshiro began to muster all the spirit energy he had. "This is it. My final attack, which I use as a last resort."

"Your last resort, huh? Nice. I'm grateful that I get to see it."

With his spiritual pressure at an all time high, Toshiro held his sword above his head and released his power. From the tip of his blade, the familiar shape of the captain's ice dragon, Hyorinmaru flew in the air. However, unlike its previous dragons, this creature was larger with massive wings. "Behold! Daiguren Hyorinmaru Ice Dragon!" The beast roared, exuding its massive power.

"Nice summon, man," Dante said. "I've never seen something with so much power. I doubt most of my attacks could even scratch that thing."

"So what does that mean? Even if you give up, I can guarantee that you will still be killed by this attack."

Dante was quiet as he mentally shifted through the list of abilities that were available to him. Thanks to his low power, the rogue knew he only had enough for one blow. "Like I said, _most_ of my attacks won't scratch it," he said. "But there is one that will be enough." Crossing his arms with guns held up, Dante gathered all his available spiritual energy and concentrated it for his final attack. He began to sweat profusely as he felt his body fell like it was on fire. With a loud yell, Dante held his guns over his head. "This is it! Lagi style! Dragon Phoenix!" Pushing his guns' triggers, the black teen released a burning stream of flames which gathered over his head. The flame grew larger and hotter as it started to take shape. Large wings formed from the side and began to flap while a long leg sprouted from the bottom. The back began to form a short tail which was almost reminiscent of a fish. Finally, the front portion formed a long, pointed head. The burning dragon screeched at its elemental adversary, burning brightly in anticipation. Hyorinmaru growled back, undeterred by the inferno's heat. "This is Dragon Phoenix!" Dante replied. "The strongest spell I've ever used. Get ready to recognize the power of greatness!"

"Then let's go!" shouted Toshiro as he swung his sword forward. The stroke of the captain's blade was the signal for Daiguren Hyorinmaru to start its attack. The dragon flew at its opponent with furious flaps of its wings.

"It's time for the showstopping number!" Dante replied. "Torch the skies and melt the frozen beast with the flames of a sun, DP!" The Dragon Phoenix cried loudly as it flew ahead to intercept the enemy dragon. In less than a few seconds, steaming hot fire and sub-zero cold ice collided between both swordsmen. The dragons' power levels went wild as the beasts fought for the upper hand. Flames and ice chunks flew in all directions and surrounded Dante and Toshiro, who were using their spiritual energy to increase their dragons' strength. This wasn't just a battle of dragon versus dragon, but it was a test of willpower as well.

* * *

As the battle raged, Captain Retsu Unohana of Squad 4, along with her lieutenant, Isane Kotetsu, appeared at the entrance. Once they stepped foot in the chamber, both medical personnel watched in astonishment at the battle between the fellow captain and the rogue ryouka. It was indeed a sight to behold. However, while Isane's eyes were glued on to the fight, Retsu's gaze drifted to another sight. The form of a still alive Aizen. The traitorous captain saw his two new guests and gave a light wave before returning his eyes to the spectacle before him. Retsu, however, still watched the man with a wary eye as she felt her suspicions to be correct.

* * *

Back on the battlefield, both Toshiro and Dante were on their last ounce of strength. Both warriors' bodies were filled with excruciating pain. As the battle continued, the effects were beginning to show in their bankai forms. With Dante, his dragonmare wings were beginning to droop and the membranes between the branch-like appendages were ripping off. The red exoskeleton which wrapped his long tail was tearing off and the two toes from the back of his thighs broke away. As with Toshiro, his frozen form was starting to melt, creating a puddle of water where he stood. Chunks of ice from his wings and tail began to break away and the ice which covered has back was gone. The flower which floated close behind him was starting to shatter. He had already lost three of his four petals.

The dragons, on the other hand, were at a stalemate. Both Hyorinmaru and the Dragon Phoenix gave one more glare toward one another. Both spells were evenly matched in strength. Still, it would take one last strike to determine the winner of the duel. Both Toshiro and Dante traded one final glance. Even with the transgressions that may have led to this duel in the first place, the two swordsmen couldn't help but feel some respect for one another (of course, the white-haired prodigy would not openly admit to such a thing as his dark-skinned counterpart would). With a loud yell, both swordsmen sent their dragons forth. Once the two beasts met, a flash of blinding light filled the Seijōtōkyorin. Isane and Gin both turned away from the bright light while only Aizen and Unohana were the only ones unaffected.

After a minute, the light screen began to fade and both Dante and Toshiro were face down on the ground. With no more power to keep their bankai forms activated, both warriors were now tightly holding their sealed zanpakutos. Blood and scratches covered their motionless bodies. Still, their spirit urged them to get up. Using their swords, both young men dragged their bodies to horizontal bases. They planted their feet on the ground, fighting to keep balance on legs to weary to support their weight. "Dante…" Toshiro called between breaths. The black teen turned to the prodigy, feeling weak from the battle. "The one who… who hurt Momo… and Nemu…"

"…It was Aizen," Dante replied. "He didn't just do that… he also threw the SS into the crapper… and fucked up my past…"

"I should have known…" Toshiro replied. "I knew there was… something behind his death… and Rukia's execution…"

"Don't worry…" Dante said as he turned to face Aizen. "Imma cut… his bitch ass up…" Seeing Sosuke's face, the black teen was now more determined to stay on his feet. He wanted to take vengeance on the man who took his world and flipped it upside down.

Seeing a small fire still lit in his eyes, Toshiro saw that Dante was still driven. Even with such a wounded body that would drop any moment, the black rogue was still unwilling to give up. A small smile grew on his mouth as he realized that this whole time, they had a common enemy and similar goals. However, the young captain also knew full well that his body was too badly broken to last. Conceding to defeat, the young prodigy closed his eyes and fell to the ground. "Captain Hitsugaya!" yelled a concern Isane as she ran to the fallen captain's side.

"Congratulations, Dante," Aizen said nonchalantly. "That was quite an impressive battle you fought. A truly remarkable show."

"Screw you, bitch face!" Dante snapped. "Now tell me… what the fuck I want to know! Why did you make me… into this!? Why did you rip me from my fam!? Why the hell am I here!?"

"Patience, Dante," the traitor replied with a risen hand. "Let me tell you everything from the top. Like I said, you'll like this story. After all, it involves your father."

Dante only glared daggers at the man. "What the hell are you talking about? …There's no way you know him?"

"Actually, I do. He and I were close friends back in those days. In fact, you look just like your father when he was younger. It's too bad that only one of us have memories of him." As Dante snarled, he knew Aizen had a point. The experiments that he underwent damaged his memories. All he could remember was where he lived and his own name. Everything else about his past was a blur. "Now let's see… Your father, Otsuboro Blaine, first came here from the 3rd District about 130 years ago. Out of all the shinigami, he was the most unorthodox, yet most talented man I've ever met. After 10 years of service, he was named captain of Squad 10."

"My father was captain of Squad 10?" Dante asked.

"Yes. A position currently held by Toshiro Hitsugaya," Aizen replied, beating the black teen to the punch. "A seat inherited roughly 50 years ago."

"Inherited?" Dante repeated with a risen brow. However, his curiosity was ignored by Aizen.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. I'm not there yet." Dante let out a low growl between his teeth. He wanted to let out all of his fury on the man, but felt learning about the past was necessary. "Like I said before, Otsuboro and I were close friends. Like brothers, if you will. So when he was appointed to captain, I was very proud of his accomplishment. Gin, you remember that day, don't you?"

"Indeed I do," replied the smiling fellow traitor. "I remember the after party well. He left me a whole plate of dried persimmons that night. A really good guy in my book."

"Sadly, he and I had a bit of a falling out. You see, nearly twenty years after he took the position of captain, Otsuboro uncovered my involvement in the disappearances of shinigami. However, before he could report his findings, I managed to intercept him and gave the man an opportunity of a lifetime. Join my cause to bring change to Soul Society."

"Right. You's a regular humanitarian," Dante replied wryly.

"Unfortunately, Otsuboro felt obligated to protect Soul Society and so engaged me in battle. In the end, I managed to defeat him. However, he escaped with the use of a machine I created and was banished to another dimension. The Seireitei had thought he died on duty when in reality he was alive and well in another world. The machine I had was damaged after it was used, so it took a few decades to get it working. On a positive note, I was able to use it to keep tabs on my old friend."

"And that's where I came in."

"Precisely. That's how I learned about an interesting heir to his bloodline who would continue to carry his father's legacy. One child, a son, born from a shinigami captain and a human woman about 18 years ago. You're spiritual potential was promising to say the least. If anything, it was similar to your brother's…"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Dante interrupted. "What the hell do you mean 'to my brother's'? You just said I was an only child! What? Megalomaniacs forget how to count?"

"Ah yes, I nearly forgot I didn't tell you that. You see, it was over a century ago, shortly before Otsuboro was transported to the other world. Back then, your father had relations with a shinigami woman. It was an intimate relationship which brought about his first son. However, the mother died due to complications from childbirth and Otsuboro's line of work demanded his full attention. So he decided to send the son to his mother, who raised the boy as her own until he grew and became part of the Thirteen Court Squads."

"So let me get this straight. My father… has another kid running around…?" The black teen was not buying Aizen's information. After all, the black teen always felt that he was the one in a million with no other ties. It was always him against the world. Hearing how there might be someone else related to him was unbelievable. "Even if I believe you, tell me who it is! Come on! Make me laugh!"

"Heh. I would think that you would have sensed his familiar spiritual pressure throughout your entire skirmish. I guess I was mistaken." Hearing this, Dante started to understand the man's hint. Turning to the fallen Toshiro, who was being treated by Isane, the black teen's eyes went wide. During their entire fight, the black teen felt a familiarity toward the captain's reiatsu. It was almost like his own. He then whipped his head to Aizen, who nodded in response. "That's right. Your brother is the child prodigy whom you defeated, Toshiro Hitsugaya."

"This can't be…" The black teen was completely flabbergasted from the discovery. It felt as though everything froze in place for a second. Aizen, on the other hand, only watched in amusement. "Toshiro's… my brother…?"

"Indeed he is. Your blood and his share the same type of spiritons, energy that was passed down from your father. The difference being that your spirit energy was weaker due to your half-human heritage. However, that's where I found a way around that little dilemma. Near the time Otsuboro left the Seireitei, I procured a pair of swords artificially created here at the Shinigami Research & Development Institute that were tossed in the living world due to their hazards. I held them for years until the time was right."

"I get it now," Dante replied. "You stole the swords and hired those motherfuckers at the Agency to do your dirty work."

"Now you're catching on. Using the Agency's scientific minds and technology, I was able to make sure your father and mother met their demise. But don't worry, Otsuboro still fought to the bitter, futile end. Maybe he would have had a fighting chance if it weren't for his power being so low."

Dante snarled at Aizen for what he did. All he wanted to do right now was silence the man with a swift decapitating stroke. Of course, there was still something he wished to have an answer to. "Why?" he began. "Why did you take my family out!? And why did you use me in those experiments!? It makes no sense!"

"I would think you would have guessed it by now? I wanted a weapon that would help me take over Soul Society. Something with the power to help me crush the shinigami. I have the swords, but no one to wield them. Then I thought, 'why not kill two birds with one stone'? Not only did I have a chance to end some unfinished business, but I also had a volunteer candidate. Though there was one slight drawback. The swords only work properly when the user has a high number of spiritons in their body. Luckily, your brother was kind enough to donate some of his blood. Using his samples, the Agency was able to isolate the spirit particles and bind them to your blood, thus increasing your own reiatsu."

Dante bent forward and gazed at the ground as he tried to absorb the information received. It was hard to accept the fact that his father was a Soul Reaper who arrived in his world by mistake. It was then difficult to a believe that he had a half brother, who he just defeated not too long ago. Now he had to stomach the fact that his misfortune was actually a part of an intricate plot created by a madman lasting over a century. _"No…"_ he thought. _"This can't be right… This guy's lying…! It's all a hallucination…!"_

"You should thank me, Dante," Aizen said in a humble tone. Dante snapped out of his thoughts and turned to the shinigami. "If it weren't for me, you'd still be a ignorant of your father's origins. I gave you a sense of direction and purpose in life. I gave you power that most people can only fantasize." The glasses wearing man then outstretched his hand toward Dante. The black teen was shocked by the gesture. "And now I ask for you to join me. Together, with your zanpakuto and my ideas, we will usher in a new era of true democracy. A place that Otsuboro had only dreamt about."

The black teen was speechless, but enraged. "You mean after admitting to killing my father, hurting my friends, and setting me up to face my brother, you actually think I'd join your ass?"

"I understand how hateful you must be feeling towards me. But think about this: sacrifices are always made in the name of progress. Join me reign as god over the realms and enforce my rule."

"Join you?" Dante asked. "Join you!? No fucking way in hell! Would you like to know what happened after your little science project? I became a mercenary! A man who'd kill without even batting an eye! And I also swore that I would do everything I could to find the fool who pulled this shit on me in the first place!" Straightening his body, the black teen pulled his swords from the ground and pointed at the foe. "Sosuke Aizen, you's a bitch-ass nigga and Imma take your ass out!" Enraged and fully focused, Dante charged ahead. Though his body had partially recovered, he was still critically injured. Even so, that didn't stop the maverick from running toward the source of all his misfortune.

Once he reached the top step, Dante leapt in the air. Seeing this, Aizen only muttered to himself, "Déjà vu." Swords ready and yelling at the top of his lungs, the black teen landed and used a cross slash to deliver a fatal wound to Aizen. Blood spurted in all directions and time seemingly slowed down. Dante looked up at the traitor's face, only to see his smile still remain. "You're so much like your father, it's almost sad."

The black teen realized that what he struck wasn't real, but an illusion. "Oh hell no…" was all Dante could say before a cold steel blade ran through his chest. Behind him stood a calm Aizen, who held his blade lackadaisically. Dante still stood paralyzed in disbelief as he coughed blood. After a few seconds, the sword slowly exited from his body and held by its master's side. The limp body of the young teen fell to the ground as Aizen swatted away any remaining blood from his katana.

Acting as though nothing had happened, the traitor turned his attention to Captain Unohana and walked down the stairs. Gin followed close behind, still bearing his unreadable smile. Dante only watched helplessly as his quarry escaped him once more. Turning around, Gin waved to the young teen. "Bye, bye!" he called playfully. "See ya soon!" That was the last thing Dante saw before he black out into unconsciousness.

* * *

Thanks to the assistance of Captain Unohana and Lieutenant Kotetsu, Dante was taken to Squad 4's barracks. His injuries were quite severe indeed. It was said that most people who suffered such trauma were usually dead in minutes. Luckily for the black teen, his odd healing abilities slowed down the debilitation, giving the squad enough time to save him from the brink of death.

Now in a recovery room, Dante's body was covered in bandages. Hearing the news of their ally's condition, Orihime, Uryu, and Ganju visited their comrade when they could. Others also came to observe the young ryouka, such as Rangiku Matsumoto and Hanataro Yamada, two shinigami who consider him a friend even during the invasion.

At the moment, sitting patiently next to his bed was Nemu Kurotsuchi, who was also injured during Aizen's raid on the Seijōtōkyorin. However, thanks to her father's expertise, the lieutenant made a full recover. Now all she could do was wait for the young maverick to wake up. After a couple of minutes, the sounds of covers tugging and light groaning were brought to her attention as Dante's red eyes opened. "Oh man…" he replied as he awoke. "Where am I…?"

"Dante, I see you're wide awake," Nemu said as she stood over his bed.

"Nemu…" seeing his ally alive and well, the black teen gave a small smile. "Yo, girl. Nice to see you're cool. How long was I out for and where am I?"

"You've been here in a Squad 4 Recovery Room for the past two days," the lieutenant replied. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel like a bench sat on by both Rosie O'Donnell and Marechiyo Omaeda."

Hearing Dante's wisecrack made Nemu chuckle. For her, it was good to see that his personality remained unchanged. "Oh yes, I also have something here for you." Reaching into her robe, Nemu pulled out a small device from her pocket and handed it to the patient.

"Holy crap!" the black teen replied. "My Pimp-Pod! And it's fully charged too! Big ups to you, Nemu!"

"It was my pleasure. Captain Unohana said to return it to you once you've regained consciousness. Though I took the liberty of recharging its internal battery."

"Again, thanks!" Dante placed the earplugs in his ear, ready to turn the device on. Before he did, he turned to the table near Nemu's seat and saw a few items on the table. Among the items were a pile of clothes, a bottle with a pink bow tied to the top, and a crude and rather colorful bowl which read 'Get Well Soon.' "Hey, what're those?" he asked as he pointed to the items.

"They're gifts from a few visitors. A bottle of sake from Lieutenant Matsumoto. A small bowl from 7th Seat Yamada. Also I managed to stitch together your clothes." Seeing the gifts, the black teen smiled from the donations. Never had he seen such generosity. Back in his world, he was a solo act who had few true allies. Experiencing this was completely new to him. "Is something wrong?"

"No, it's all good," he said as he pulled the covers off his body. Slowly, the black teen moved his body to the side attempting to get off the bed.

"I do not believe your body has healed enough for mobility," Nemu droned. "I recommend that you stay in bed."

"Nemu, you worry too much," the black teen replied. "It's all good. Hell, I feel just-" Once Dante moved off the bed and stood, his legs buckled up. In an instant, the black teen collapsed onto the floor with a loud thud. "Oh shit!" he replied in a panicked tone. "I can't feel my legs! I'm paralyzed! God damn I'm paralyzed! What is I gonna do!? What is I gonna do!?"

"You're not paralyzed, Dante," Nemu droned. "You've been in an inactive state for 48 hours. It will take some time for your limbs to work once more."

"Oh," the black teen replied. "Um… I knew that." Before he could say anymore, Nemu bent down and lifted the black teen. However, the black teen was being cradled in her arms. "Wh-What are you doing!?" Dante replied in shock and disbelief.

"I'm lifting you off the ground the same way you did me. Is there something wrong?"

"Well, you're not supposed to carry a gangsta like a newborn baby!" the black teen retorted, his face red like an apple. "It's just… It's freaky, ya know?"

"Really?" Nemu asked innocently. "I did not know that."

"Nemu! Hurry up and put me down before someone-!"

"Ehem," replied a new voice from near the door. Both Dante and Nemu stopped and turned to the room's entrance. Standing at the doorway sat Toshiro Hitsugaya wearing a white haori. Sitting in a wheelchair, the captain's body was also bandaged up from their confrontation. "If you two are done, I have some things to talk to you about."

"Toshiro, yo," Dante replied with a wave and a smile. "What happening, homeboy?"

"Please address Captain Hitsugaya," the smaller shinigami replied.

"I shall leave you two alone," Nemu replied. "The captain is expecting me shortly."

"Right," Dante agreed. Nemu gently laid Dante on his bed and put him back under the covers before giving a light bow. Once she reached the exit, she turned to Toshiro and bowed to him. With one last glance, the lieutenant left the room. "She's a good woman," the black teen replied. "Too bad she suffers so much at her crib."

Toshiro gave a light nod as he wheeled himself over to Dante's bed. "So, how are your injuries?" the captain asked.

"I'll be fine," Dante said as he placed his left hand on his right arm. "After all, I heal pretty fast."

"You don't have to tell me. I witnessed it first hand. If I didn't know better, I would think you were a hollow in disguise."

"A hollow? No way, G! I'm more of a full glass. The only mask I'll wear is a Deadpool one. And I don't have any holes. Well, except for those certain holes. Eyes, mouth, nose, ears. And then there's-"

"I get it! Geez." Toshiro quickly interrupted before Dante mentioned any other places. "Anyway, about the battle… I'm sorry I didn't believe you." The black teen raised an eyebrow in confusion. "It's just that I felt guilty for not reaching the chamber in time to save Momo."

"Toshiro… Look, homeboy. It's all good." Hearing this, the prodigy turned to the young maverick. "Besides, I should apologize to you."

"You mean for impersonating one of my officers, or for hanging one of them on a ledge?" Toshiro asked.

"Well… Both really. And for saying that it was your fault for Momo being there. The fool who's really to blame for all of this is Aizen." The young captain agreed with Dante's notion and nodded. "Speaking of that fool, what happened to him?"

Toshiro turned away and sighed. "He got away. It turned out that another captain, Kaname Tousen, was also conspiring against Soul Society."

"Not Jordi, too!" Dante replied.

Toshiro ignored the black teen's outburst and continued. "It turns out that they were after an item known as the Hogyoku, which rested within Rukia's gigai. That's what the whole execution was about. Now that the device is in Aizen's possession, he plans to create Hollows with Shinigami powers."

"You're kidding!" Dante replied, knowing full well what was going on. "He's actually gonna do that!?" Toshiro gave a light nod.

Silence now fell between the two as they assessed the situation. For Dante, he was starting to wonder what the point of coming here was. He was unable to get his revenge or stop the danger in Soul Society. Was there really something he could do? "So… You and I are brothers, huh?" Toshiro asked.

Hearing this broke Dante's train of thought and he faced the captain with a stunned look. When Aizen told Dante that history, the black teen thought the captain was unconscious from their battle. "You know? But…"

"Isane was not far from your location. Remember?" Toshiro answered. "She heard the entire thing. However, she told my lieutenant, Rangiku Matsumoto, about the news not long after I came here. Then Rangiku told me about the information. However, knowing how she loves to gossip, it's unknown how many other people she told before hand."

"Oh, right. But do you think that trick was just frontin'?"

"The blood tests are positive. We are half brothers."

The validation of the claims once again silenced the two. For both brothers, it was hard to believe that they were related. Still, they knew there was nothing that can be done. "You know what? Maybe it's not so bad," Dante began, grabbing Toshiro's attention. "Hell, I always wanted a little brother. You know, teach him about those lessons in life."

"Little!?" Toshiro replied, offended by his brother's use of the 'L' word. "How am I the little brother when I'm a century older!?"

"Because… I'm taller and I hit puberty way before you did," Dante jeered.

Hearing this, the captain only groaned. "No way! I'm still the older brother due to my age. Shinigami like myself age at a slower rate than you living souls!"

"So what!? I'm still the 'big' brother! You might have the head start, but I didn't draw the short straw!" Dante sung.

Toshiro was now furious. It was a fact that few people who made fun of his size ever got away with it. "The only thing saving you is the fact that I'm still recovering from our last battle," the captain said with a sharp tone.

"Oh yeah? Where my boys at!? Get my blades!? I think someone's hankerin' for a spankerin'!"

"You really are an idiot, aren't you? We're in a hospital! No one's allowed to handle zanpakutos on the premises unless they're from Squad 4!"

"Don't call me an idiot, shawty!" Dante replied as he faced his brother. "You know I'll get off this bed! Don't make me get up!"

"Right, because the first try worked so well," Toshiro sarcastically spat as his forehead met Dante's. Baring their teeth, both brothers were ready to escalate the situation. After a few seconds, Dante began to stifle a laugh, earning a confused glance from the captain. Pulling back, the black teen then began laughing madly. "What the hell are you laughing about?"

"Nothing, man!" he replied "It's just… like I said. This is gonna be awesome! Hahaha!"

All Toshiro could do was watch his taller sibling laugh. At first, he didn't get the joke. But after a while, the white-haired captain cracked a small smile. _"Who would have thought that this guy is my brother?"_ he thought. _"The two of us are as opposite as night and day. Yet at the same time, with both suffered many hardships in our life."_ With that in mind, Toshiro straightened his face. _"Which means that we also have a similar goal in defeating Aizen."_

"Yo, bro," Dante replied, interrupting Toshiro's train of thought. "Something on your mind?"

"It's nothing," the captain said as he began to move his chair. "I think it's time I get back to my room. I want to recover my strength as soon as possible."

"Ah, so soon?" Dante whined.

"You'll be discharged tomorrow. And before you ask, I checked with Unohana before I came in."

"First my blood and now my records. I think we're gonna have to talk about invasion of privacy." Toshiro said nothing, but merely flexed his shoulder. "Eh, whatever. Well, see you tomorrow, Toshiro."

"It's Captain Hitsugaya."

"Right… Captain Toshiro," Dante replied with a slick tongue. The white-haired captain paid no heed and continued off. Now the black teen was left alone in his room. With his hands resting on the back of his head, the black teen stared at the tiled ceiling above, blocking out the sounds of the busy hallway outside his door. The only thing that escaped his lips was, "I wonder what crazy shit Panzerraptor will put me in next…"

* * *

Author's Note 1: Yes! Finally, I finished this story. I bet many of you who were reading are thinking "About damn time!" With this little adventure over, I'm thinking of doing some more stuff with this character. I mean, I wanted to feature Dante's other bankai in this story, but knew that there wasn't anywhere to do it. So there's a chance I'll throw in a sequel based on either Dark Souls or Shattered Blade (two games that take place before Ichigo and his party return to the living world). And since it's rarely been done, make it an OcxNemu or OcxRangiku fic.

But I would also like to my hand at a romance staring IchigoxRangiku or IchigoxNemu (maybe a triple pairing). But like I said, you might be seeing Dante again real soon. So with the story at its close, I would like to know what do you, the readers, personally think of the tale and character. And please, no full-fledge flaming.


End file.
